Euro 2008 looks set to go down as one of the most exciting tournaments for years with top class football being played by a number of teams. However it also looks set to be remembered for various bizarre decisions regarding team selection, and squad selection. The world of international management wouldn’t suit famed tinkermen like Rafa Benitez and Claudio Ranieri as there seems to be a staunch loyalty displayed by the majority of those in charge. Club form seems to be way down on the list when it comes to picking the final X1 and that has never been more evident than in Austria and Switzerland. I may be proved wrong with some players but there are some decisions which have baffled the footballing world.
Raymond Domenech is well-known for his strange selections and single-minded views but he has taken it to a new level in the past month. His initial squad contained several surprises and he continued the trend as the tournament progressed. Domenech continued his bad decision making after the tournament as he proposed to his partner, Estelle Denis, on live TV. Her response was lukewarm, suggesting that Domenech has managed to annoy everybody including those closest to him.
The provisional squad contained the majority of the players people expected to see although the exclusion of David Trezeguet was seen as a mystery by some (see below). However, when the squad was cut to the final 23, many footballing experts were left stunned by omissions in all positions.
In goal, Steve Mandanda was preferred to Mickael Landreau as the third-choice keeper but that was probably the least controversial move as Mandanda has all but no chance of playing.
The two Arsenal full-backs, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna were named in the PFA Team of the Year but both were omitted by Domenech at the last hurdle. After a shaky season at Barcelona, nobody would have been shocked if Eric Abidal had been left out and judging by his poor performances in the group, that would have been a clever choice. On the right side there was even more shock. Sagna, although lacking in international experience, clearly has a greater deal of ability than Francois Clerc and Willy Sagnol but, once again, Domenech let his heart rule his head. In the centre of defence Phillipe Mexes was left out in favour of his former Auxerre colleague Jean Alain Boumsong. Boumsong continues to fool managers around Europe into signing him and Domenech is another who has fallen into the trap. It is a mystery that a defender who has been so often compared to Titus Bramble in his calamitous nature is seen by the French coach as a better option than Phillipe Mexes who has been classy at the back for Roma this season. The most illogical selection was that of Lassana Diarra ahead of Mathieu Flamini. Diarra’s case is extraordinary as at one point he had played more times for the national side than he had for his club. A favourite of Domenech’s, he was outcast at Arsenal as Flamini forged a strong partnership alongside Cesc Fabregas. Whilst Flamini was performing at the highest level and eventually earning a move to AC Milan, Diarra was having to try and revive his career at Portsmouth. However, Domenech appears to think that he knows better than Arsene Wenger.
Bafetimbi Gomis was the surprise inclusion in the French squad. The St Etienne striker was selected after impressing on debut with a brace against Ecuador in a pre-tournament friendly. The intense excitement regarding his involvement was demonstrated by the crowd’s reaction when he was introduced in France’s first group game against Romania. The expectation was almost as huge as Gomis himself. Several heavy touches later, the French crowd were wondering what all the fuss was about. His performance against Holland wasn’t much better and he wasn’t involved against the Italians. Gomis was selected due to his club form ahead of David Trezeguet. That’s the same David Trezeguet who scored four more goals than Gomis in the same amount of fixtures in a much tougher league. Under any other manager than Domenech, Trezeguet would have been an automatic choice but the rift between them has been brewing for a while. But there was also a rift between Domenech and Nicolas Anelka until recently and they have kissed and made up. Bizarrely there reconciliation has come at the time when Anelka’s form has been really poor, having scored only twice in 24 appearances since joining Chelsea.
However it isn’t only the continued use of Gomis, brought on ahead of Karim Benzema against Holland, that is causing debate in France. Widely regarded as the best left back in the world, Patrice Evra was expected to start against Romania. The Barcelona full-back Eric Abidal was chosen ahead of Evra despite a shaky season in Spain. The uproar surrounding the selection, including a TV show centred solely on this debate chaired by Domenech’s wife, led to Evra being selected against Holland. Abidal was however reinstated against Italy at the heart of the defence and that decision effectively cost France their place in the tournament. Whilst Abidal was dropped, the hapless Florent Malouda somehow kept his place in the side until the last game. Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri, seen as the future of French football, were left to watch from the sidelines for the whole match as Malouda looked a shadow of the player seen at Lyon and carried on where he left off with Chelsea.
It is this variety of blunders and Domenech’s ridiculous reasoning behind his decisions that has led to much criticism and to France exiting the competition early. He has contradicted himself heavily and has overused the older generation. Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele can’t disguise their age anymore as their performances aren’t good enough and in the case of the former mental instability has become an issue too. The lack of pace has caused problems defensively and Makelele couldn’t get anywhere near the Dutch midfield in the second group game. The fact that both men have now retired is positive for the future but it came too late in the eyes of most people. Domenech is a stubborn man who isn’t liked by many French fans but at least he gives everybody a chance. Let’s face it, if Boumsong can get in the squad, there’s hope for all of us.
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