France coach assured job is safe
28 Mar 2009 - 14:30:00
France coach Raymond Domenech has been assured by the French Football Federation that his job is not under threat.Domenech has been an unpopular figure following his side's dismal showing at Euro 2008 and is jeered by the French public during every international.However, French Football Federation (FFF) president Jean-Pierre Escalettes, who gave his full backing to Domenech after the Euros, will stick by his man until the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign, whatever happens along the way."The (federation's) federal council made a decision and it has confirmed it since," Escalettes told French channel L'Equipe TV."It said at the time that Raymond would be going all the way to the end of qualification and we are not going to review this after the third match, after the fourth match, after the fifth match."No, that would make the team fragile. Raymond is there. He has a mission, he has a responsibility and he goes to the end."Let's hope he will go to the end in the best way possible."Domenech continues to get panned by the French press, while crowds at France home games howl with derision when his name or face appears on giant screens in the stadia.His demeanour and attitude in front of the press have changed, prompted by a request by Escalettes and the FFF to improve his relationship with the media in the wake of the Euro 2008 debacle.But Domenech appears destined to be disliked until the end of his tenure, which will come in the summer of 2010 after the World Cup finals in South Africa."Raymond is a controversial figure - he will stay like that until the end," Escalettes added.
