When Wooden Goh say football team should be like France, he probably meant this

[cooleo]

Domenech refuses to shake Parreira's hand, wags finger

France's 2-1 loss to South Africa sealed an embarrassing end to a shameful World Cup appearance that included everything from Nicolas Anelka being sent home early to the team boycotting a training session and the team's sponsors abandoning them. The gross displays, however, just kept coming.

Once the final whistle blew, French manager Raymond Domenech - whose successor, Laurent Blanc, already was named before the tournament even started - began the customary ritual of shaking hands with those around him, but when South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira offered his hand and a smile, Domenech shook his finger at him and tried to walk away.

Parreira grabbed him by the jacket and tried to talk to him, but Domenech - a man who called his own team "unspeakably stupid" before the match - decided to continue with his uncouth behavior and lecture the Brazilian with an abundance of finger pointing.

Once the press got a hold of Domenech, he didn't offer any answers for his actions. From the AFP:

"I have no intention of replying to this question," he said.

"Is there another question?" he asked after the question was posed to him again by another journalist.

A third tried his luck: "Why are you refusing to answer this question?"

Domenech responded: "Is there another question?"

"If these are all the questions you are going to ask me, I am going to leave you, we are not from the same world," he added later, in response to a question about the crisis in the French team.

Well, that is true. After all of Domenech's astrology-based roster decisions, post-match marriage proposals, and complete inability to maintain order in his team, I'll agree that he's probably not from the same world.

Parreira, meanwhile, at least tried to explain the rudeness he was subjected to:

"I believe it was because I had criticised his team after they qualified [when they controversially beat Ireland in the playoffs], but I really don't remember.

"This is what his assistants told me."

So in the end, it all goes back to Ireland and that Thierry Henry handball. Of course. And while the French keep finding new ways to embarrass themselves, their own fans even abandoning them to root for South Africa, the Irish are eating their free pizza and laughing. Laughing and laughing and laughing.

[Alamaking]

Lanjiao coach

[kingrant]

C'est une honte!

[cooleo]

Thierry Henry admits to handball that defeated Ireland in World Cup play-off

With cries of “cheat” ringing in his ears from furious Irish fans, the Barcelona and former Arsenal forward emerged from the dressing room to say: “I will be honest, it was a handball. But I’m not the ref. I played it, the ref allowed it. That’s a question you should ask him.”

Henry may have been shamed into making his confession by Ireland’s manager, Giovanni Trapattoni who had earlier stopped short of accusing the player of cheating, but added that Henry should be given the chance to admit his offence.

Trapattoni said: “All European people saw the situation. I am sure that, if the referee had asked Henry, he would have admitted to the handball.

“I would prefer to go out on penalties than this. I am sad because the referee had the time to ask the linesman and Henry.

"I am upset for fair play because we are told many times about fair play. We didn’t change the rules three months ago.

“I go into schools to talk about fair play and tell the young kids that it’s important for their life.”

Irish defender Richard Dunne was less charitable, saying: “I think it was quite blatant that he cheated. The linesman was in line with the incident, it wasn’t even a hard decision to make.”

Gallas attempted to dodge the controversy surrounding his former Arsenal team-mate by insisting he did not see how Henry provided the pass for the goal.

Gallas said: “It all happened so quickly. I received the ball from Thierry, but I couldn’t see. I saw Thierry’s pass, the Irish were surprised and I put my head and my chest out.”

France coach Raymond Domenech, a contrary and unpopular figure in France, brushed off Irish complaints during a heated post-match press conference.

Domenech said: “I didn’t see the hand. You people [media] are talking of this after seeing it from 80 yards. The referee gave the goal, but I couldn’t see anything from where I was. I didn’t see the replay.

“But I am disappointed for the Irish team, their public and fans. I regret that Ireland haven’t qualified for the World Cup.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, commentating for French broadcaster TF1, was more candid in his assessment of the goal, however, by admitting that France "went through thanks to a refereeing error".

Ireland had produced an incredible display of character and determination to take the game into extra-time after Robbie Keane’s 32nd minute goal had squared the tie and cancelled out Nicolas Anelka’s first-leg winner.

But despite dominating for 90 minutes, Ireland failed to convert one of their many opportunities to score a second and leave France facing up to elimination.

Keane twice and Damien Duff both spurned golden chances in the second-half to put the game beyond the French, who were booed off the pitch at half-time by their own supporters.

Ireland’s inability to punish the hosts further ultimately proved their undoing when Gallas levelled the tie on the night and put France 2-1 ahead on aggregate.

But the manner of France’s progression, and Henry’s role in Ireland’s demise, are unlikely to be forgotten quickly by the Irish, who left Paris with a justifiable sense of injustice.

[red amoeba]

shows that there is justice in the world.

they didn't deserve to be in the competition in the first place.

for 2nd time, les bleus exited the WC with their dicks bashed...haha....

[saratogas]

Sinkapore Football will never employ a fuck up local coach to begin with.

[ah_phah]

Sinkapore Football will never employ a fuck up local coach to begin with.

that's cos sinkieland's too fcked up that we cant even afford to hire a fcked up coach.

sink-apore to be in world cup 2010??? the only way we're participating in the world cup is by over paying for subscribing to the broadcast via sinktel & stuckup

[jw5]

He's right about one thing.
He's in a world of his own.

[Rogue Trader]

at least this french fucker showed more class than zidane by not headbutting his opponent.

[KuanTi01]

What an uncouth and uncultured Frenchman! He is an apology for a coach. No wonder his players boycotted him. Anelka even farked him in his face! Those who didn't rebel against him openly, merely tolerated him for their own self interests! Lousy coach to begin with. Somebody should teach him manners. No shame, no remorse, no basic courtesy, no respect for a coach many times better than him. In the end it's poetic justice that France got knocked out so early for they cheated to get into the WC. Long live Brazil, Long Live Ireland.

[halsey02]

He's right about one thing.
He's in a world of his own.

He must saying to the other coach, "Parlez-Vous Singlish"?

[zuoom]

haha. is that for real?

looks like a scene out of those drama.

[Watchman]

at least this french fucker showed more class than zidane by not headbutting his opponent.

You want class, football is not the game !

[Ramseth]

at least this french fucker showed more class than zidane by not headbutting his opponent.

It was very saddening that Zinedine Zidane marked his last moment in the World Cup with that disgraceful headbutt. He started out as a gentleman player in the tradition of Just Fontaine and Michel Platini.

It's often forgotten that it was a Frenchman, Jules Rimet, whom founded the World Cup and another Frenchman, Henri Delaunay, whom pioneered the Euro Championship. Saddening indeed that the French team have degenerated to such a farcical international joke in stock.

[Rogue Trader]

You want class, football is not the game !

Blame to player, not the game.

[Rogue Trader]

It was very saddening that Zinedine Zidane marked his last moment in the World Cup with that disgraceful headbutt. He started out as a gentleman player in the tradition of Just Fontaine and Michel Platini.

It's often forgotten that it was a Frenchman, Jules Rimet, whom founded the World Cup and another Frenchman, Henri Delaunay, whom pioneered the Euro Championship. Saddening indeed that the French team have degenerated to such a farcical international joke in stock.

the fucking french team has always dominated headlines for the wrong reasons. They might be brilliant footballers, but they have trouble playing together as a team.

[War Criminal]

reminds me of arsene wegner also refusing to shake mark huges hand after man city beat his arse team.

wegner is also a lousy coach. all french coaches are!