Domenech is real scandal in France

Dogged by a prostitution scandal and facing a crisis in confidence, the French team unveiled a surprising roster for the World Cup on Tuesday that raises new questions about manager Raymond Domenech’s ability to deliver the goods.

Making the squad was Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery, who, along with two other players, has been implicated in an under-age prostitution case. But this scandal, which has transfixed the French public, is not without blowback: Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, also named in the investigation, was left home in a shock decision.

Domenech denied that the case, involving a woman who was 17 at the time of her liaison with Benzema, had any impact on his decision. That may well be true, but there’s no question that the team's public perception has taken a hit in the wake of the revelations about Ribery and his compatriot at Real.

That perception won’t have improved any Tuesday. Domench’s provisional squad also omitted two other big names: former France captain Patrick Vieria, and Arsenal’s Samir Nasri. In their places came five uncapped men, including teenager Yann M’Vila of Rennes.

The omissions were stunning, even for a coach known for erratic behavior. The roster has only added to the general feeling of unease that surrounds the French side.

For the first time since 1998’s triumph, many in France have serious doubts whether this inarguably talent-laden team can even get out of its group.

The French are reeling after a series of unconvincing performances, and morale is said to be at an all-time low. There’s a reason for that: France just scraped through in qualifying, with sub-par performances against the likes of the Faroe Islands and Romania, and most recently dropped a full-team friendly to Spain, 2-0 on March 3rd.

Grouped with Uruguay, Mexico and hosts South Africa, the French are not assured of escape. At the eye of the storm is Domenech.

Eccentric even by national team coaching standards, Domenech has never enjoyed a warm relationship with the players, the fans or the media. He famously -- and weirdly -- responded to France’s ejection from Euro 2008 by proposing to his girlfriend on air. (The two have not married.) Of late, he’s been dogged by whispers that he received large bonuses despite the team’s poor showing.

Domenech seems to be blithely unaware of the currents around him. And worse, the interpersonal feuds that ravaged this side in 2006 have not been repaired. Instead, with today’s choices, Domenech seems to be gambling that by taking as many as five new players, he can control what has been a strained locker room. It’s a gamble that should be familiar to American fans. In 1998, then-coach Steve Sampson did a similar late house-cleaning. Those fans also know the outcome: the U.S. finished dead last in France.

The truth is, while France is now far removed from the golden generations of Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini and Eric Cantona, their players are good. The problem is they are is leaderless. How else can you explain the showings of a side that will field Nicolas Anelka, Ribery, Bacary Sagna, Patrice Evra, Hugo Lloris and Florent Malouda in South Africa?

Without leadership or direction, sadly, this team looks set to continue the slow collapse that began four years ago in Berlin, when Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi. It’s a shameful denouement for a team that seems to have wasted a great deal of its promise under a feckless coach.

The FFF recently confirmed it is seeking to replace Domenech with Laurent Blanc after the Cup, but one has to think that if France bungles its next two outings -- May 26 against Costa Rica and May 30th against Tunisia -- the FFF will pull the trigger. Making such a move before the Cup would be risky, but not unprecedented. Some would argue it would be the only thing that can save Les Bleus.

Tuesday's controversial roster announcement, however, was not without a measure of irony. According to L'Express, the woman at the center of the scandal, Zahia Dehar, wrote to Domenech, begging him to take “no account” of the incident.

Her words seem to have fallen on deaf ears.