12/18/24
June 22, 2010
France's Manager Won't Shake Counterpart's Hand: After France was drummed out of the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to host nation South Africa, manager Raymond Domenech found one more way the squad could embarrass itself at the tournament. He refused to shake hands with opposing manager Carlos Alberto Parreira and wagged his finger at him instead. When reporters asked the reason for the snub, Domenech replied, "I have no intention of replying to this question."
One might ask the question why but the answer is clear.
He's French
posted by Atheist at 04:29 PM on June 22, 2010
I think my 2yo has better manners
posted by kokaku at 04:48 PM on June 22, 2010
So I ask this semi-seriously, since as a non-soccer fan I don't know France's reputation in past WC: was it the French team's unstated goal to be the embarassment of the World Cup? Losing is one thing, happens literally to the best teams every now and then, but the nonstop poor sportsmanship is something well within anyone's reach to avoid even on their worst playing day.
posted by hincandenza at 04:51 PM on June 22, 2010
Very classless display. It will be interesting to hear what comes out of the French camp in the upcoming weeks/months.
posted by Ricardo at 05:04 PM on June 22, 2010
They're all flying back in economy/coach, and there was live coverage of them heading to the airport. My guess is that dumpsters are being raided for rotten fruit as we speak.
I don't know France's reputation in past WC
Won in 1998 as hosts, then won Euro 2000; crashed out in 2002, lost in the final in 2006 (best remembered for Zidane's headbutt). The French reporting basically says that the national federation has pissed away the success of a decade ago.
It's not going to take weeks/months: as Le Monde puts it, tongues are already wagging. Defeat is an orphan.
posted by etagloh at 05:11 PM on June 22, 2010
Total douchebag.
posted by ursus_comiter at 05:23 PM on June 22, 2010
I think Martin Rogers captured the French team perfectly.
posted by irunfromclones at 05:32 PM on June 22, 2010
And all the Irish rejoiced ....
posted by Ricardo at 05:41 PM on June 22, 2010
Good thing for Domenech he was already out the door, eh? My only question for the French Federation officials is the frak would you send a lame duck coach to the most important tournament your team plays in rather than having the new bossman run it.
Rogers was mostly dead on but I think reasonably highly of Patrice Evra (considering he's a Red Devil), the guy rarely makes stupid mistakes or get yellow carded, and so surprised the short-term captain was on Rogers' aging troublemakers list.
posted by billsaysthis at 09:06 PM on June 22, 2010
Wow, wagged a finger at him for what? To say, "Oh you naughty, naughty man! You just beat us like the big bass drum!"?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:34 PM on June 22, 2010
Just go away and become irrelevant ... wait, didn't he do that in South Africa?
posted by jjzucal at 10:02 PM on June 22, 2010
What a classless piece of shit. I had actually felt for him having to deal with the classless pieces of shit he was managing.
posted by tselson at 10:25 PM on June 22, 2010
Bud Light Chelada Man of the Match.
posted by beaverboard at 11:58 PM on June 22, 2010
Evra's immediate comments suggested that the players had wanted to apologise to the supporters yesterday, but were prevented. Also, here's the explanation for the snit at the end:
Parreira said: "As a matter of politeness I went to greet him because I know he will no longer be the French coach. But I don't understand what he said. He said I had offended the French team and for the life of me I don't know what I said. I have never insulted the French team. I asked one of the assistant coaches and he said that when Henry had handled the ball in their play-off game to get here I made a comment that France should not have been here. But that was a year ago so it is lamentable that this has happened."What an arsehole.
posted by etagloh at 12:08 AM on June 23, 2010
etagloh: I'm hoping that you mean that Parriera is the arsehole...
posted by StarFucker at 01:54 AM on June 23, 2010
"Players from the colonies"? 1948 just called, they want their racism back.
Evra was born in Senegal but was raised in France having arrived there on a permanent basis when he was less than a year old. Anelka was born in Versailles. Gallas was born in Paris. But I guess, since they're black, they must be descended "from the colonies" and therefore it's quite appropriate to be talking about having them "lynched".
I know you're a fan of stirring the waters in here - and I'm usually the first to laugh - but I think you've taken that a bit far.
posted by JJ at 04:04 AM on June 23, 2010
My understanding from that quote, which I've seen in a number of places, is that the South African coach had made some anti-French public comments around the time of the Ireland-France stoush. I think one might do better to rise above that, but, on the other hand, if you've bagged someone as a bad sport or whatever in the past, why should you be surprised if they don't want to play nice with you later?
Between the French and English squads there are obviously more than a few spoiled brats who are so used to their clubs bending over to whatever appalling behaviour they care to dish out that they've forgotten how to cope outside an environment of bootlickers. Not one of the ringleaders of the French squad's refusals to train and half-arsed efforts should play for their country again. I'm sure the next coach can assemble 11 players who actually give a shit about representing their nation.
He's French
Are you a unfunny xenophobic dipshit because all Americans are, or are you just a special case?
posted by rodgerd at 05:33 AM on June 23, 2010
He's French Are you a unfunny xenophobic dipshit because all Americans are, or are you just a special case?
because all Americans are
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black....
posted by FonGu at 05:44 AM on June 23, 2010
I think one might do better to rise above that, but, on the other hand, if you've bagged someone as a bad sport or whatever in the past, why should you be surprised if they don't want to play nice with you later?
The fact that Domenech was still thinking about a year-old slight, at a time when he should've just spent the last two hours focused on saving his country's World Cup hopes, shows that he was the biggest reason why the squad failed. The team was a basket case, and it started at the top.
posted by rcade at 08:48 AM on June 23, 2010
He's French
I thought it was a perfectly good explanation. Not that they help themselves avoid such stereotyping. Their perpetual knack for overbearing melodrama and unsportsmanlike behavior histrionics at the Cup thus far have given us plenty more fodder.
posted by mjkredliner at 10:56 AM on June 23, 2010
I thought it was a perfectly good bit of bigotry.
Fixed that for you.
posted by apoch at 11:32 AM on June 23, 2010
I thought it was a perfectly good bit of bigotry.
Just another thing the French are OK with.
posted by mjkredliner at 12:39 PM on June 23, 2010
Oh blah, blah, blah "the French" blah, blah, bliggty-blah. It's all so fucking boring. They're not one person.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:16 PM on June 23, 2010
I'm an unfunny xenophobic dipshit because all Americans are. I wish I was special.
posted by tselson at 12:07 AM on June 24, 2010
Domenach is a space cadet, and two years past his sell by date. Laurent Blanc has a big hill to climb before Euro 2012.