Rattled Domenech struggles to find answers

France require a miracle if they are to reach the World Cup second round, said a visibly rattled and out-of-sorts Raymond Domenech on Friday the day after a demoralising 2-0 Group A defeat by Mexico.

The loss appeared to weigh heavily on 57-year-old Domenech, who in his video message posted on the French Football Federation website gave a rambling and disjointed account, sometimes failing to finish his sentences.

France need to beat hosts South Africa soundly on Tuesday and hope that Uruguay and Mexico don’t draw – if they do both will progress regardless of what the French do.

“There is a miracle around somewhere, but in any case we are compelled to play for our pride at the very least.

“When it is out of one’s hands, qualifying that is, one shouldn’t dream that it is going to happen,” said Domenech, whose increasingly unpopular six-year reign will come to an end after the World Cup when Laurent Blanc takes place.

Domenech, whose popularity has plummeted since the unexpected high of reaching the 2006 World Cup final, said that whatever happened they needed to exit the tournament with their heads held high.

“It is for us to simply show something, to be able to say ‘we played to the end, we never let up’. That would appear to be the most important thing for me,” said Domenech, who stayed in his post despite calls on several occasions for him to be replaced even after France had qualified for the finals.

“It is imperative that we exit in a dignified manner, that we show the French team can at least score, and maybe do something else,” added Domenech, who appeared visibly lost and struggled to find any words, confessing: “I have rarely been like this.”

“I really believed, I was confident, I had genuine confidence in this team. It had real potential, real quality, but it didn’t click into place, it just wasn’t there.”

Domenech, who was ridiculed when his response in the immediate aftermath of a first round exit at Euro 2008 was to make an on-screen proposal to his TV presenter girlfriend sitting back in the studio, stumbled to the end of his interview.

Barely able to complete his sentences, he said: “It is sad, I am sad for everybody, there were so many hopes, so much anticipation, never before have I felt so much of either sentiment around me.

“In the people, in the players… hopes that were there, one could see it in the people… we all dreamt, now it is out of our hands, therefore the overriding feeling is one of sadness,” he said.