Gallas blames Domenech for World Cup disaster

(GSM) – William Gallas has pinpointed ex-head coach Raymond Domenec as the reason for France’s World Cup failure.

The French campaign in South Africa crashed after Nicolas Anelka was sent home following a half-time outburst during the team’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico. Strike action the following day saw the players sit out training, with Les Bleus then finishing bottom of Group A.

Gallas believes Domenech is to blame for the problems during the tournament in South Africa.

“If it was a fiasco, then there are reasons for it,” the centre half told Les Inrockuptibles.

“And for me there is no need to draw a veil over why; they emanated from the coach.

“The real problem is the coach. Okay I wasn’t good, we weren’t good. But the coach wasn’t up to scratch either. I was appalled that we didn’t play with two strikers.

“Even the training sessions weren’t up to the level required.

“You can have the best players in the world in your team, but if you don’t have the coach you need, then the results will not be achieved.”

The out of contract Arsenal defender continued that Domenech’s ego was the real problem in the camp, not the players’.

“Domenech was not open. A lot of players were unable to talk to him and it was certainly my case,” Gallas said.

“Anelka’s incident was a case of him [Anelka] being fed up for a few weeks prior to that.

“Domenech hammered into us time and again: ‘Put your egos to one side’. But I believe that he forgot to do that himself.”

Before the tournament, the relationship between the defender and coaching staff became strained after Patrice Evra was handed the captain’s armband. Gallas insisted the way Domenech handled the decision was unprofessional.

He said: “The hardest part of it, is the manner in which it happened.

“I realised when I entered the changing-room prior to the friendly with Costa Rica [May 26] that the captain’s armband was placed beside Evra’s shirt.

“He (Domenech) told me: ‘In any case, you would not be a good captain.'”