Somehow, Waterloo fails in comparison to this.
Somehow, Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt on Italy defenseman Marco Materazzi in the final of the 2006 World Cup seems far less disgraceful than it once was.
Somehow, France has managed to destroy the reputation of a once proud footballing nation in a manner of weeks.
France was eliminated from the 2010 World Cup after a scoreless draw with Group A winners Uruguay, a 2-0 defeat to runners-up Mexico and a 2-1 loss to hosts South Africa.
But it isn’t the poor, uninspired, and boring play that is Les Bleus biggest concern. It’s the sad yet comical conflicts within the team that doomed their World Cup campaign.
The start of this downward slide is the 2006 World Cup Final, which France lost the title – and Zidane – to Italy in penalty kicks.
Fast-forward to Euro 2008. The nation was humbled by poor group play, failing to advance to the knockout stages.
This brought the end to the Patrick Vieria and Thierry Henry era. Vieria was injured and missed all the Euro 2008 games and was left off the 2010 squad by head coach Raymond Domenech. Henry took a more scaled-back approach, only coming off the bench due to his diminishing skills.
France almost failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Yes, the team that was in the final of the last Cup almost failed to qualify.
How did France manage to squeak by? By cheating.
In their two-match playoff with the Republic of Ireland, Henry had not one, but two handballs in the Irish box. Henry batted down a cross, slapped it again to his right foot and crossed the ball with the outside of his foot to William Gallas, who easily headed home the goal for the 2-1 advantage on aggregate.
Henry played the “If the ref didn’t see it, it didn’t happen” defense, but later admitted that he illegally used his hands. Ireland was outraged, and rightfully so. They were denied their ticket to South Africa on an unseen handball. FIFA refused to allow a rematch. France was in.
Has disgraceful as the handball is to their country, the world and the sport, the French Football Federation (FFF) didn’t make things any better.
Even before the Henry handball, the FFF installed former captain Laurent Blanc as coach – effective after the 2010 World Cup – leaving Domenech as a powerless lame-duck coach. Domenech was already not on the player’s good side; the FFF just made it worse.
This all came to a head during halftime of France’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico. Striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home by Domenech, the FFF and captain Patrice Evra after Anelka and Domenech got into a verbal argument, with Anelka delivering an expletive-laden insult to his coach. Evra criticized the decision of the FFF through Domenech, accusing the FFF of making a rash decision based on media reports alone.
Then, the French squad refused to train after Evra and fitness coach Robert Duverne got into a heated argument. Duverne quit on the spot, tossing his whistle and credentials into nearby bushes and storming off the practice pitch angrily. French team director Jean-Louis Valentin also stormed off, shouting that he was “ashamed” of the squad for not training. Valentin also announced his resignation from the FFF on the spot when questioned by reporters.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy waddled into the controversy, sending Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot to talk to the team telling them they are embarrassing their country. Bachelot told reporters that some of the players started crying.
The final match of France’s disastrous World Cup campaign ended in a 2-1 defeat to South Africa. While Bafana Bafana may have the dubious honor of being the first host nation to fail to advance to the knockout stages, they nonetheless look a whole lot better than the French. Domenech made five roster changes and benched Evra, who has been one of Domenech’s strongest and most outspoken critics. To top it off, Domenech disgracefully refused to shake South African coach Carlos Alberto Parreira’s hand.
France was sent home not by luxury first-class, but by coach. A fitting “honor” for the squad.
Good riddance is all that can be said of this French side. They have disgraced their country, their teammates, their coach (and vice-versa) and worst of all they disgraced the World Cup. The World Cup unites more than the 32 nations that compete; it unites the world. France disgraced one of the few things the overwhelming majority of the world has in common with a poor attitude unparalled in any sport.
These players are supposed to represent their country and their actions have done nothing but created a cloud of disdain and humiliation for France. These players – some whom play for big clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona – are not adults; they have proved themselves to be nothing more than overpaid children.
The World Cup only comes once every four years and players are considered lucky to play in three. These French players will look back on it and regret everything they’ve done.
Evra told reporters that the “truth” will come out and explain the players’ actions.
Yeah, it better.