Chaos reigns as Henry denies criticising coach; Malouda reveals shirt-shock
Chaos reigns as Henry denies criticising coach; Malouda reveals shirt-shock
World Cup winners France's increasingly fraught qualifying campaign for next year's finals deepened last night when captain Thierry Henry denied he had criticised coach Raymond Domenech in front of the rest of the squad.
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France's Thierry Henry (left) and coach Raymond Domenech. pic/afp |
Squad-mate and fellow 2006 World Cup finalist Florent Malouda also revealed that he had only learnt he was not even among the substitutes for last Saturday's qualifier with Romania at the Stade de France when he entered the dressing room and he saw there was no shirt for him.
Henry's denial Le Parisien claimed on Monday that in Friday's team meeting the Barcelona star had publicly slammed Domenech and Malouda's clear displeasure at the manner in which he learnt of his non-selection will do nothing for morale as they head for a crucial qualifier with Group Seven leaders Serbia on Wednesday.
ClarificationHenry was forced to clarify about what happened on Friday on the eve of the 1-1 draw which left the French four points adrift of the Serbs with just three matches remaining and in danger of having to go through a play-off to progress to South Africa.
"Nothing happened on Friday evening," Henry told French TV station TF1.
"There was a discussion between the squad and the coach as is usual. It was a constructive discussion which must stay between the players and the coach.
"I did not question the coach's qualities. There was never a clash between us," added Henry.
Chelsea star Malouda told RTL radio station: "I saw when I entered the dressing room that there no shirt had been prepared for me. I deduced from that that I was in either the starting line-up or the substitutes bench.
"I was surprised, I thought I would feature at some stage. It's important to support one's friends, even from the stands but one is powerless sitting in the stands, one has fleas in ones pants, but that is how it is, it is the choice of the coach."
Important world cup qualifiers tomorrow
Englandu00a0u00a0u00a0 vsu00a0u00a0u00a0 Croatia
Scotlandu00a0u00a0 vsu00a0u00a0u00a0 Netherlands
Paraguayu00a0 vsu00a0u00a0u00a0 Argentina
Hungaryu00a0u00a0 vsu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Portugal
Italyu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 vsu00a0u00a0u00a0 Bulgaria
Brazilu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 vsu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Chile
Romaniau00a0u00a0 vsu00a0u00a0u00a0 Austria
