Troubled Domenech not worried by own fate
Reuters - Friday 10 October 2008, 13:50
CLAIREFONTAINE, France - Under-fire France
coach Raymond Domenech said he was not worried by his own fate
before a World Cup qualifier in Romania on Saturday that could
spell the end of his tenure.
"The only thing I'm worried about is the fact that we need
to qualify for the 2010 World Cup," Domenech told reporters at
the team's base outside Paris on Friday.
"I've said so before and I'll keep saying it -- qualifying
does not depend on one match alone and there will be more
matches after this one," he added.
Domenech, who was left in charge but told he needed results
after his team's group-stage exit from Euro 2008, knows a bad
outcome in the Group Seven match in the Black Sea
port of Constanta might cost him his job.
The 56-year-old, whose team began their qualifying campaign
with a shock 3-1 defeat by Austria, earned himself a stay of
execution with a 2-1 win over Serbia last month.
He realises, however, that he is not safe yet, after French
federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said an assessment
of the coach's position would be made after the Romania match.
The abrasive coach received support from captain Patrick
Vieira, who has not played for France for months because of a
thigh injury but should lead the team on Saturday.
"Since he's been left in charge, players and officials must
support him, full stop," midfielder Vieira told reporters on
Friday. "He has to stay on until the end, he has to be allowed
to keep doing his job."
France will play Tunisia in a friendly in Paris on Tuesday
and the French federation will meet the next day with the
coach's case on the agenda.
French media have started speculating on who might replace
Domenech, with 1998 world champions Didier Deschamps and Laurent
Blanc the favourites.
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