We´re going through a difficult time, admits Domenech

The French national football side is going through a difficult period in terms of replacing the older generation with younger players, admitted under-fire coach Raymond Domenech on Monday.

The 58-year-old – whose popularity has plummeted since guiding the French to the 2006 World Cup final – insisted, though, that he was getting a firmer idea of the makeup of his 23 man squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa, which runs from June 11 to July 11.

“There is a changing of the generations taking place,” said Domenech, who was capped eight times as fullback from 1973-79.

“Apart from Brazil, who have an immense reservoir of talent, which assures them of a natural renewal without the team suffering the consequences, all the other teams function cyclically.

“We find ourselves in a rather more difficult cycle, with senior players who are either worn out or retired and who we have to replace. At the moment we are working hard on grappling to rediscover a high level.”

Domenech, who was coach of the Under-21 side from 1993-2004 before replacing Jacques Santini at the helm of the senior national side, said that it was harder for him this time to have a firmer idea of what the final squad would be.

“In 2006 when I saw the players and listened to them, I said to myself that we ‘are going the whole way to the final, that is certain!’,” said Domenech, who is stepping down come what may after the finals.

“At the moment my team is coming together, but there are still too many uncertainties and too many things affecting them outside of football that is polluting the process of my selection.

“When we have got the players back together again and we have spent enough time together then I will know what the squad should be.”

Domenech insisted the huge amount of criticism he has come under, since France crashed out in humiliating fashion in the first round of the Euro 2008 finals and an unimpressive qualifying campaign for the World Cup finals, didn’t bother him.

“I always tell the story of the frog that dives into boiling water: on impact it will shriek, and it will suffer. But if one puts it in cold water and then slowly bit by bit raise the temperature the frog will be able to handle it longer!

“When one is a coach, it is a little like that: we are living under permanent stress.”