Cantona slams Domenech and Henry

Former French international Eric Cantona launched a stinging attack on national coach Raymond Domenech on Friday following France’s controversial qualification for the 2010 World Cup.

“I think that Raymond Domenech is the worst coach in French football since Louis XVI,” Cantona told reporters at a press conference ahead of a beach soccer tournament due to take place here from November 27-28.

French king Louis XVI was executed by French revolutionaries in 1792 and is commonly depicted as an indecisive, dithering monarch.

“If it was up to me, I’d put (Bordeaux coach) Laurent Blanc in charge of the France team,” the former Manchester United hero continued.

“He continues the season with Bordeaux, he wins the league with Bordeaux and he wins the World Cup! I’m not the only one who thinks that…”

Cantona, who today is an actor and coach of France’s beach soccer team, also criticised the attitude of Thierry Henry, whose handball set up France’s winning goal in their 2-1 aggregate play-off victory over the Republic of Ireland.

“What shocked me most wasn’t the handball, honestly,” said Cantona.

“What shocked me most was that at the end of the match, in front of the television cameras, this player (Henry) went and sat down next to an Irish player to console him, even though he’d screwed them three minutes earlier.

“If I’d been Irish, he wouldn’t have lasted three seconds.”