World Cup Blog | Bruce Crumley Assessing The Legacy of Domenech subscribe to TIME Printable Version email this story Bruce Crumley: Read all his blog entries Bruce Crumley: Assessing The Legacy of Zizou

Posted Friday, July 7, 2006; 19.10BST
Far be it from me to find the one wart on the potentially joyous face that may turn itself towards hard-core France fans like myself, but there is a mid-sized carbuncle in the prospect of les Bleus winning the world title on Sunday: we'd doubtless have to deal with the bitter, "see, I told you" sneer of French coach Raymond Domenech for another four years.

Sure, that would be of minor immediate concern as we all sing the Marseillais, chant whatever idiot cheer is snatched up from this final (and let's hope its a creative improvement from

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the criminally soporific "Et un, et deux, et trois — zero!" of 1998) , and put aside our car burning, angry demonstrating, an "No!" voting to any constructive issue put before us long enough to do those chest-bump embrace-substitutes on the Champs Elysees with equally elated utter strangers. But as the weeks go by and we return to regular footballing business — including an unbelievably tough qualifying group for the Euro 2008 that includes Italy and the Ukraine — Domenech's superior, mocking glare and vindication-smeared grin will grate in a real big way. Or worse.

See, Domenech isn't your group-hug sort of guy; he's more the type who'll be shout-whispering through grinding teeth: "so, think I'm a big freaking loser now?!" as he pulls those little hairs on your temple that hurt so bad they make your eyes water real hard. And even the pain of that won't be as agonizing as the bogus conceit that he told us so all along, knowing he'd be proven right. Because Domenech has indeed repeatedly stated — even when it seemed a psychotic mantra — that his objective of making and winning the final hadn't altered.

Yet there's a lot of evidence to suggest France has gotten this far in spite of Domenech's presence, not thanks to it. Don't count on the coach factoring that nuance into his attitude, however, if France comes away winning this mamba-jamba.

A former defender known for his intimidating game-face and habit of using hard contact (to put it lightly) as a useful style of play, Domenech successfully combined that authoritarian M.O. with an oddly paternal side when coached national youth teams over the years — and with admirable skill. He may have required his wards to jump when he said so, and peel him the odd grape without asking why, but Domenech did a great job with these younger players — most of whom went on to play for France's elite team.

The problem since he's taken over the top squad, however, is Domenech has tried to impose his rigid system — and unbending personality — to the multi-millionaires and international stars in it, apparently thinking the only real difference from the junior sides would be these adults wouldn't be calling him "Monsieur".

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