Domenech slams French supporters for Henry criticism

THE fallout from France’s qualification for the World Cup has continued with in the country after national team coach Raymond Domenech blasting fans for their criticism of Henry, saying conceded that Thierry Henry he has always had a tense relationship with the team’s fans — and he rubbished his captain’s claim that he was left out to dry by members of the French football federation.

Domenech also went on to denied reports that he earned more than over over 850,000 in bonuses for France making it to South Africa, and claimed he had not seen the handball incident until he was told about it long after the match had finished.

Henry had complained earlier in the week that no-one from the FA had contacted him in the controversial aftermath of the game, but Domenech insisted that he was one of the first to be in touch. “I phoned him after we saw to what extent it was taking off, and we were trying to understand what was happening and how he could get through it,” Domenech told France Bleu radio said.

“What he’s had to put up with recently has really hurt him, because the French team is his life, his home. He’s given everything and he’s been taken down for it. It’s a burden for him to think, ‘After all I’ve done, after all I’ve given’, and for all that to happen to him afterwards, he no longer understands, and neither do I.”

He added on l’express: “I have not slept for two days and I am just starting to get over it. When France were given an unjustified red card against the Serbs, Serbia did not launch a campaign to denigrate our team.”

And yet Domenech did concede that the French fans have never taken Henry to their hearts, even though he does not know why. “Take the day of his 100th cap [June 3, 2008 against Colombia at Stade de France]. It wouldn’t have happened in any other country. The day of a player’s 100th cap, there is a bunch of flowers, a medal, he leaves the pitch to a standing ovation 10 ten minutes from the end. But the French fans jeered him. Thierry has never understood that. How can you hiss at a player with 100 caps, who is world champion, who is a finalist a second time?” “In this case, I can understand that something happened, but these are accusations against his very person, when the real debate and the real problem is the refereeing.”

An impassioned Domenech, speaking on France Bleu radio station, went on to explain how he only found out about the handball after the final whistle full time.

“When we got into the changing rooms we talked about it, the fact there was a handball. Besides, the players sensed it, as there was not an explosion of joy. Everything was very calm.

“We jumped for joy, just like the fans did at the end of the game. I only knew about it once I got into the changing rooms. I discussed it with Titi [Henry], I heard the players talking about it. They said, ‘It was handball’, and I said, ‘Oh, really?’. I spoke to Titi about it, he said, ‘Yeah, it just fell onto my hand and I grabbed it in the heat of the moment.’ This happens 200,000 times a season in all the games.”

Domenech hit out at Eric Cantona who claimed he was the worst coach since Louis XVI. “I did not know that Louis XVI had been a coach,” quipped Domenech.

“I put Cantona in the same batch as the others. He is coach of a beach soccer team and failed to qualify his team for the World Cup. He should show decency.”

“In Ireland-Georgia when Georgia was winning 1-0 and Robbie Keane grabbed the ball with both hands in the penalty area, everyone saw it, and they equalised with a totally imaginary penalty when it [the foul] was the other way round. But it wasn’t anything like what we went through.

“The Irish weren’t [labelled as] cheats, everyone was happy. The Georgians could say whatever they like, they even got a yellow card, but no-one complained.” about it. It’s two weights, two measures, because it’s Thierry Henry, it’s France, and because in France we have this unfortunate tendeancy to flog ourselves. We like it.

“After the match I saw the Ireland coach Trapattoni and I went up to him and said, ‘Sorry’ for not qualifying, and at that point he said ‘That’s football, that’s the way it goes’. But I didn’t know then what he was referring to. I had seen the players protesting, but I didn’t know what it meant.”

Domenech went on to flatly deny France Football’s report that he had pocketed a bonus of 862,000 for steering France to South Africa. “If that’s really the case, I’m happy. The sum is absolutely staggering, Iif that was the case I would have jumped up in the air. But I can assure it’s way off the mark,” he said.

“But it’s a pure lie, a pure lie, and issuing a denial never changes anything. I don’t even know [how much it was]. Money has never been my driving force, I make a good living and I’m happy in my position but I earn less than most coaches in Ligue 1. If I was in a club I would earn four or five times more, maybe more, and I could have joined a number of clubs.”

Domenech had ended his outspoken interview with some words of praise for Ireland. “It was a shame that Ireland went out, in terms of their team, their fans, the fervour surrounding the team, it would have been good if they were at the World Cup.” he said. ” But that’s the way it goes, other teams are out. It could also have been us.”