How about Raymond Domenech?

Raymond Domenech is one of the most interesting figures in football but the French Football Federation must be out of their minds to still keep him as the national team coach. The man who picks his players based on their star sign should not be even in the same sentence as the French national team.

Some of you are maybe unaware of the fact that he was very well known even as a player of Lyon, PSG and Bordeaux among others. He was a comic figure even then, wearing the moustache like Charles Bronson (according to Domenech himself) and bushy eyebrows. He was one of those mad defenders who would do anything just to stop the opponent and no wonder he was nicknamed ‘The leg-breaker’. He liked to warm up alone in front of opposition fans just to get psyched up for the match. All this gives you clear picture of his character and no wonder that his behaviour is eccentric at the moment.

Domenech loves astrology and going to the theatre and these are two things that are the basis of his coaching career. He is probably the only coach alive who picks his squad based on players’ star sign, so if you are a Scorpio you can forget about ever playing for the French national team. He is not too keen on Leos but he had to give way to common sense as Henry and Gallas are among the players that share the mentioned star sign. Robert Pires’ only mistake in his career was that he had been born a Scorpio and that was the main reason for his missing out on World Cup 2006. Domenech’s visits to the theatre were certainly not in vain, as we can see his dramatic behaviour at every press conference.

When France was beaten in Scotland in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign he blamed the defeat on ‘boy balls’ as he called them, for not being quick enough in retrieving the ball in the last stages of the match. And how about his astute statement after another defeat from Scotland, this time in Paris, when he said: ‘You always lose when your opponents score and you don’t.’ This marvelous insight into the game of football should be enough to keep him at the helm of France forever, don’t you think.

It seems that Domenech has something against the French players in Serie A. David Trezeguet has been one of the top scorers of the competition in the last few years and he was constantly overlooked by the French coach. What about Fiorentina keeper Sebastien Frey, who announced his retirement from international football at 28, frustrated by the fact that he is not in Domenech’s plans despite his magnificent performances in Serie A. Roma defender Philippe Mexes is another great player who cannot get into the national team and only Domenech knows why.

This is the man who is very interesting for the press for his colorful statements but he shouldn’t be given the chance to lead the lowest league club let alone French national team. The coach who disregards players’ qualities, age and form and chooses the players based on tarot cards and stars, is clearly out of his mind and this leaves me to wonder who are the people that keep him at the helm of one of the best national teams in Europe.

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