Raymond Domenech, the sad end

Marked by the Knysna fiasco, Raymond Domenech tried to bounce back at FC Nantes ten years later. With a bitter failure as a result.

The name of Raymond Domenech will forever be linked to the biggest scandal in the history of the Blues. Four years after leading the Blues to the final of the 2006 World Cup, the former defender saw the French team sink and cover itself in shame by launching a strike the day after the exclusion of Nicolas Anelka. By refusing to get off the bus, Patrice Evra and his teammates cause an unprecedented earthquake.

And if most of the players present in South Africa will manage to recover and restore their image, Raymond Domenech will become a plague victim. Except for a few matches of the Breton selection, the Lyonnais no longer has a say and his career as a technician seems likely to end at this 2010 World Cup. But that’s without counting on Waldemar Kita who, ten years later , decides to make him the coach of FC Nantes to replace Christian Gourcuff.

“It’s a carefully considered choice. I am convinced of the qualities that the former coach of the French team, accustomed to the high level, can bring to our club”rejoices the Nantes president, adding: “We are happy to be able to count on the experience of Raymond Domenech for the rest of the season. » And happiness is shared, Raymond Domenech appreciating its true value “this magnificent opportunity to return to the land”.

For Raymond Domenech, Waldemar Kita gave in to panic

The story will nevertheless be very brief. A month and a half later, the former French coach has indeed arrived. After seven games with Raymond Domenech at the helm, FC Nantes has not won a single match, having to settle for four draws for four defeats. But more than these disastrous results, it is the attitude of the Lyonnais which does not pass, the one who is still the companion of Estelle Denis not seeming to be aware of the urgency of the situation in the eyes of the Nantes leaders.

However, Raymond Domenech does not consider himself discredited.

“No, I could take over any club now in the same way, with the knowledge of the systems. You forget that I have been training for over 15 years. I didn’t feel overwhelmed at that level. Besides, you can search everywhere, there is no player who said that he had the feeling that we were doing everything and anything”he analyzes, adding: “I understand the position of the president who gave in a little to panic. At that moment, we say to ourselves what will happen? We change, we take another one. It’s in the spirit of the times. We are in the immediate future. It’s a shame that the president didn’t understand that with a little more time, we could also have managed to do something. »

However, the Nantes president will not regret his choice. Antoine Kombouaré, who will succeed Raymond Domenech on the Nantes bench, will indeed be the expected savior, before offering a Coupe de France to FC Nantes two years later.