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Everyone had expected them to be outstanding in a group that consisted of Uruguay, Mexico and host South Africa; especially considering the caliber of players they took to the world cup. Unfortunately, it turned out to be their worst campaign ever, losing two matches and drawing only one.
The team ended up in disarray, with Nicolas Anelka expelled for his public outburst against Coach Raymond Domenech; and the team captain Patrice Evra not played in their last group match.
What actually went wrong?
A lot of things went wrong with the squad; but I will talk about few of those problems.
1.Poor preparation: The team had quality and tested players, but they didn’t prepare very well by playing quality international friendly matches. I remember few of the friendlies they played where done by new players, who did not eventually make the team to the world cup. So there was no proper blending of the old and new players.
2.Qualification through the back door: One would say here that nemesis caught up with the team because of the way they made it to the world cup. The injustice meted down to Ireland was not properly addressed by FIFA, UEFA and the French team. The French national team refused to atone for their sin; the Irish were unjustly deprived the opportunity to represent Europe. Everyone kept mute because they had thought France would give Europe a better representation, but God delivered this judgment at the world cup. FIFA and UEFA should be bold to address injustice in the game of soccer, not minding whoever is concerned.
3.Leadership squabble: Coach Raymond Domenech set the stage for the leadership squabble that eventually destroyed the unity of the team by making Patrice Evra the captain of the team, when there were older, more experienced and more respected players like Thierry Henry, William Gallas and Frank Ribery, in the team. Leadership should not be by favoritism; it should be by experience and individual charisma.
4.Indiscipline: The team was not disciplined enough; otherwise how would one explain Nicolas Anelka’s public outburst against his Coach. Anelka is an experienced international player who should be an example to younger players; but he ignited the flame of discord that eventually engulfed the team.
5.Technical ineptitude: Why on earth were players like Karim Benzema, Nasri, and some other young talented players left out of the squad? It only shows that the Coach did not know his players well enough, and perhaps he didn’t have what it took to handle a big team as France’s.
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