Latest update: 10/07/2012 

- football - France


Deschamps vows to get tough with France's bad boys

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Didier Deschamps, officially unveiled as Laurent Blanc's successor to the French football squad, has said he will not tolerate the type of bad boy behaviour that marred France's last Euro and World Cup appearances.

By News Wires (text)
 

REUTERS - New France coach Didier Deschamps will not tolerate the bad behaviour which marred the national team’s last two major tournaments, he said on Monday as he was officially unveiled. 

The 1998 World Cup-winning captain has taken over from Laurent Blanc after Les Bleus, who mutinied at the 2010 World Cup, went out with a whimper to eventual champions Spain in the Euro 2012 quarter-final.
 
Four players, including midfielder Samir Nasri who launched a foul-mouthed rant against a reporter, are due to face a disciplinary hearing on July 27 over their misbehaviour at the tournament in Ukraine and Poland.
 
"I’m something of a perfectionist. I’m not here to threaten people or what have you, I am trusting, but today the situation in French football is such that the players can no longer make mistakes," he told a news conference a day after being named coach.
 
Deschamps believes the national side are still recovering from the amazing scenes in South Africa two years ago when players refused to train in support of striker Nicolas Anelka, who had been sent home for verbally abusing then coach Raymond Domenech.
 
"Given the history that dates back to 2010, professional football players who wear the team jersey of France have very important duties," the former Olympique Marseille, Juventus and Monaco coach said.
 
"Today, players cannot afford the slightest deviation. I will not analyse what happened in Ukraine. I will take time to reflect, to have a deep think as I always do, while awaiting the decision of the Disciplinary Committee."
 
While saying he would take "sporting sanctions" if players misbehave in future, the 43-year-old Deschamps was keen to talk about football too.
 
France have tricky World Cup 2014 qualifiers ahead including against world champions Spain.
 
"You know how I see my job. What matters to me is to fight to win, to do everything to win. To get there, I want to see a team who take control, who impose themselves on the opponents," he said.
 

 

Date created : 09/07/2012 
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I have always been proud of

by colombus 1 (not verified) - 01/08/2012 - 02:27

I have always been proud of my french heritage. Even after 25 year living oversea. But now, the french national team has become an embarassing one, riddled with overpaid spoilt brats.
These players have obviously no shame nor any patriotic sense.
I feel for didier deschamps, he has what seems to be an impossible task ahead of him. Men of his calibre (as well as laurent blanc) has a lot to loose getting involved with such a pathetic mob. Good luck to him, i hope he is able to put some order back in the house (if he is allowed to!!!). Meanwhile, if this as to go on. I hope they won't qualify for 2014 and save us the embarassement.

for me i think the problem is

by evans (not verified) - 10/07/2012 - 18:35

for me i think the problem is not the coach because after the worldcup in south African,france has change already two coaches yet the same result is achieved.if france continue to do the same thing than the same results will be achived.the problem is beyond the coach.for me the players must develop a sense of nationalism and play for the country as if their lives are at steak.again the french media should be circumspect in their discourse analysis.God help france.

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