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French President Sarkozy and citizens of his country are not proud of their team’s performance at the World Cup in South Africa – or their behavior. Sarkozy has told his sports minister to demand that the French squad pull itself together. The problems began when the coach reportedly criticized the play of the team’s star forward. The player responded with a foul-mouthed outburst against the coach. The player refused to apologize, and the coach sacked him. Marco Werman talks with Xavier Rivoire, editor of the weekly magazine “France Football” in Paris. (flickr image: w0LD)
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MARCO WERMAN: President Sarkozy has yet more worries today. He and his country are not proud of their team’s behavior at the World Cup in South Africa. In fact, Sarkozy has told his sports minister to demand that the French squad pull itself together. The problems began when the coach reportedly criticized the play of the team’s star forward, Nicolas Anelka. Anelka responded with an expletive filled outburst against the coach. Anelka refused to apologize and the coach sent him packing. Xavier Rivoire is the editor of the weekly magazine “France Football” in Paris. Now recap for us, Xavier, what’s been happening to France over the last few days or so in Africa. It’s been pretty messy, hasn’t it?
XAVIER RIVOIRE: A national team of soccer in France is in turmoil. After the incident you mentioned, the next morning the French players refused to train. They went on strike and asked their coach Raymond Domenech, the guy who had chosen to send Anelka back home, to read, in front of the French media, a statement saying that they were in total disagreement with the decision that had been made. To put an icing on the cake, the General Manager of the team resigned in the same breath. So now we don’t know whether France are going to field a team against South Africa for the last time of the World Cup. It will take place tomorrow evening.
WERMAN: Now a lot of the French team players feel like they’re the laughing stock of Europe. Lots of editorials critical of the team and the coach, Raymond Domenech. Apparently Domenech was spoken of as somebody who should be fired after the European championships in 2008 where France had a pretty poor showing. Why did France stick with Domenech?
RIVOIRE: That’s a very good question. My answer is that Domenech was protected and kept in his position by people as mediocre as him. When you look at the head of French Football Federation, the biggest sporting association in France, the guy looks like a provincial salesman ringing at your doorbell trying to sell vacuum cleaners. He has no class at all, no authority, just like Domenech.
WERMAN: Xavier, in your opinion, does this cast a bad light on the French players, the French team or just on Domenech?
RIVOIRE: It does not only cast a very dark shadow on the French players, but also on the French nation. France is the laughing stock of the rest of the world. Domenech should now go back to France, not on a plane because that would be a waste of money, but on a little rowing boat and he should hid his face for the rest of his life.
WERMAN: I’m almost waiting for to you to say he should go to, you know, St. Helena.
RIVOIRE: Well maybe he should, but it would be too much honor to give him because Napoleon was a great man.
WERMAN: Okay. How are the French in France reacting to their team’s showing in South Africa? How much is this dominating the French mental space right now?
RIVOIRE: It’s all over the news. People are ashamed. So much money at stake. So much glory at stake. So much pride at stake and look at the image given by the staff and the players of the national team. I now have more pleasure watching North Korea play in this World Cup than my own country.
WERMAN: Right. North Korea which lost seven-zero today to Portugal. What do you think France needs to do to save its reputation and move ahead in play at the World Cup?
RIVOIRE: I think the staff should be resigning first and France should only field substitutes tomorrow and play and restore a little bit of pride, if possible.
WERMAN: Xavier, soccer is the number one sport in France. You clearly sound angry. But personally, what does all this mean for you?
RIVOIRE: I do sound angry just because I’ve been supporting this team for such a long time now. When you see such a waste it’s such a heart breaking situation and just a few people can destroy so much that has been built throughout the previous decades. And I think it’s indecent. Those people should resign at once.
WERMAN: Xavier Rivoire, editor of the weekly magazine France Football speaking with us from Paris. Thank you so much for your time.
RIVOIRE: Thank you.
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