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ontd_footballFollow-up on the raucous events deemed to have taken place in the French NT by newspaper l'Équipe: Gourcuff ostracised and victim of plot to bring him down by fellow top players, notably Anelka and "thuggish bully" Ribéry. Nicolas Anelka scathingly insulting Coach Raymond Domenech.
Today in tv program TéléFoot, Domenech and Ribéry have come forward to give their version of the events. And quite the deflated version.
*It's a bit teary-eyed and with a lump in the throat that Ribéry made an unscheduled appearance on the studio. He apologized to the French for the team's mediocrity and their lack of collective effort, and denied having any issue with team mate Gourcuff: "I was the first to go talk to him, because he's someone we need". He admits to being hurt by the attacks against him, and considers the rumours to be "nonsense".
*Raymond Domenech deplored that the "incident" with Anelka was brought to the press and blown out way out of proportion. For him, it was an internal matter that should have been dealt with as such.
"It wasn't an altercation, people can't imagine the pressure. We're in a locker room, the coach says something to a player who's already under a lot of pressure, he can have a moment of anger, say some words"
"He didn't react in the best manner, but it's the guy that mumbles in his corner, it holds no importance. It became something because it was reported to the press, it's an internal matter regarding the group's life" "I'd dealt with the issue, it was over (Anelka was benched) I would have had a discussion the following day with him. I gave him the opportunity to apologize, which he didn't take." From there, the decision to exclude him from the group was "the good one". "I ache for all the children for whom the French team represents something, he can't say things like that."
Personal Comment: Replaced in context, we might understand a bit more clearly why all his team mates were sorry to see him go, and captain Evra's insistence on blaming the "traitor" who'd let the information slip. A slip of the tongue in an angry moment happens, but Anelka's unwillingness to apologize can't be excused, and despite what Escalette (president of the French Federation of Football) might have said, Anelka's sortie was as "dignified" as a walk of shame. And football-wise, he won't be missed on a NT that he's never much cared for.
ETA: John Terry defends Chelsea team mate Anelka
"He's a fantastic player, it was a mistake to exclude him. He only expressed his opinion"
ETA2: And the drama goes on! Evra almost got into a fight with fitness coach Duverne, apparently on the subject of the refusal of the players to train in a sign of protest against Anelka's exclusion. *barf* way to put the NT first, b/c God knows you don't need more training! Video courtesy of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
daysofjune
Today in tv program TéléFoot, Domenech and Ribéry have come forward to give their version of the events. And quite the deflated version.
*It's a bit teary-eyed and with a lump in the throat that Ribéry made an unscheduled appearance on the studio. He apologized to the French for the team's mediocrity and their lack of collective effort, and denied having any issue with team mate Gourcuff: "I was the first to go talk to him, because he's someone we need". He admits to being hurt by the attacks against him, and considers the rumours to be "nonsense".
Translation:
"The last 2, 3 days have been very difficult for the players, for our country, for everyone. And I and all the group, we're all suffering from what is happening at the moment, and especially from what is being told on the outside"
Q: "You're referring to the alleged altercation between you and Gourcuff? Do you deny it?"
"Of course I do, it's false. I have no issue with Yoann, on the contrary, I was the first to go and talk to him, because Yoann's important for the NT, and we need him." "I went to him yesterday because he was sad and not doing well, and I was the first to go speak to him"
Q: Did the group implode?
"Of course it did, and we're all suffering, not just us, France too. Honestly, we didn't play well, we didn't make the efforts we should have made, we were unable to win. At one point we felt good, like against Uruguay, but we made efforts only individually, we didn't play as a team." "And now everyone is pointing and laughing"
"At some point, I was the first to go and talk to the journalists, I liked it, but now I don't want to anymore, the way people have been talking about me, I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted because we're not playing football anymore. The French NT is an honor, it's a child's dream. I've known in it 06', it was extraordinary. And ever since 08' Euro, I'm suffering. We come to the NT and have only troubles in the group or on the outside. Things that have been said on the outside (...) There's lots of talk of top players, beside me, who have issues with Gourcuff, it's nonsense(/bullshit)
Regarding his supposed lobbying to play on the left: "the Coach is the boss, he's the one that controls everything. I never went to see him to tell him 'have Valbuena play' or 'get Gourcuff out of here' No one does this. No one."
"When I see things like 'the thuggish high school bully' or such, I'm hurt because I'm not someone like that. I come and try to play my football. I'm the first to be disappointed and disgusted and I apologize towards our country and all our countrymen for not giving them the WC they wanted.
On the upcoming game: "We're gonna play this match seriously, we're professionals, and we need everyone's support, even in hard times".
Ex-WC Champion, Bixente Lizarazu, asked him if he understood that all those interrogations from the media only reflected the supporters' need to know what was going on, to get some explanations regarding the NT's debacle and the total lack of communication:
"I do, but at some point, too much hurtful things have been said, and it's just bullshit."
Personal comment: One might indeed wonder about the facts on which L'Equipe's allegations were based, especially the extreme interpretation of having a player move out of another's way to let him through be the expression of " the top of the class making room for the high school bully out of fear of getting slapped on the back of the head.» Even in it's paper back version, no further information is given, except to call Ribéry 'Boulogne-sur-Mer's (his hometown) thuggish bully'. The only "proof" a reminder of Ribéry's working-class origins in popular suburbia that's supposed to enforce the idea that he's a bully.
The media's insistence to see class/ethnic based troubles between players is probably, imho, a projection of their own prejudices, and part of a larger trend that conceals real issues with inflated ethnical/religious ones and is not exclusive to the world of football.
Indeed, same goes for Henry, who had apparently a negative influence on the group's relationship with Gourcuff because he calls him "the new star". Right. And Toulalan, friend of Gourcuff, said the thing was "a false issue" " "Who told you that? Players told you that? I'd like to know."
"The last 2, 3 days have been very difficult for the players, for our country, for everyone. And I and all the group, we're all suffering from what is happening at the moment, and especially from what is being told on the outside"
Q: "You're referring to the alleged altercation between you and Gourcuff? Do you deny it?"
"Of course I do, it's false. I have no issue with Yoann, on the contrary, I was the first to go and talk to him, because Yoann's important for the NT, and we need him." "I went to him yesterday because he was sad and not doing well, and I was the first to go speak to him"
Q: Did the group implode?
"Of course it did, and we're all suffering, not just us, France too. Honestly, we didn't play well, we didn't make the efforts we should have made, we were unable to win. At one point we felt good, like against Uruguay, but we made efforts only individually, we didn't play as a team." "And now everyone is pointing and laughing"
"At some point, I was the first to go and talk to the journalists, I liked it, but now I don't want to anymore, the way people have been talking about me, I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted because we're not playing football anymore. The French NT is an honor, it's a child's dream. I've known in it 06', it was extraordinary. And ever since 08' Euro, I'm suffering. We come to the NT and have only troubles in the group or on the outside. Things that have been said on the outside (...) There's lots of talk of top players, beside me, who have issues with Gourcuff, it's nonsense(/bullshit)
Regarding his supposed lobbying to play on the left: "the Coach is the boss, he's the one that controls everything. I never went to see him to tell him 'have Valbuena play' or 'get Gourcuff out of here' No one does this. No one."
"When I see things like 'the thuggish high school bully' or such, I'm hurt because I'm not someone like that. I come and try to play my football. I'm the first to be disappointed and disgusted and I apologize towards our country and all our countrymen for not giving them the WC they wanted.
On the upcoming game: "We're gonna play this match seriously, we're professionals, and we need everyone's support, even in hard times".
Ex-WC Champion, Bixente Lizarazu, asked him if he understood that all those interrogations from the media only reflected the supporters' need to know what was going on, to get some explanations regarding the NT's debacle and the total lack of communication:
"I do, but at some point, too much hurtful things have been said, and it's just bullshit."
Personal comment: One might indeed wonder about the facts on which L'Equipe's allegations were based, especially the extreme interpretation of having a player move out of another's way to let him through be the expression of " the top of the class making room for the high school bully out of fear of getting slapped on the back of the head.» Even in it's paper back version, no further information is given, except to call Ribéry 'Boulogne-sur-Mer's (his hometown) thuggish bully'. The only "proof" a reminder of Ribéry's working-class origins in popular suburbia that's supposed to enforce the idea that he's a bully.
The media's insistence to see class/ethnic based troubles between players is probably, imho, a projection of their own prejudices, and part of a larger trend that conceals real issues with inflated ethnical/religious ones and is not exclusive to the world of football.
Indeed, same goes for Henry, who had apparently a negative influence on the group's relationship with Gourcuff because he calls him "the new star". Right. And Toulalan, friend of Gourcuff, said the thing was "a false issue" " "Who told you that? Players told you that? I'd like to know."
*Raymond Domenech deplored that the "incident" with Anelka was brought to the press and blown out way out of proportion. For him, it was an internal matter that should have been dealt with as such.
"It wasn't an altercation, people can't imagine the pressure. We're in a locker room, the coach says something to a player who's already under a lot of pressure, he can have a moment of anger, say some words"
"He didn't react in the best manner, but it's the guy that mumbles in his corner, it holds no importance. It became something because it was reported to the press, it's an internal matter regarding the group's life" "I'd dealt with the issue, it was over (Anelka was benched) I would have had a discussion the following day with him. I gave him the opportunity to apologize, which he didn't take." From there, the decision to exclude him from the group was "the good one". "I ache for all the children for whom the French team represents something, he can't say things like that."
Personal Comment: Replaced in context, we might understand a bit more clearly why all his team mates were sorry to see him go, and captain Evra's insistence on blaming the "traitor" who'd let the information slip. A slip of the tongue in an angry moment happens, but Anelka's unwillingness to apologize can't be excused, and despite what Escalette (president of the French Federation of Football) might have said, Anelka's sortie was as "dignified" as a walk of shame. And football-wise, he won't be missed on a NT that he's never much cared for.
ETA: John Terry defends Chelsea team mate Anelka
"He's a fantastic player, it was a mistake to exclude him. He only expressed his opinion"
ETA2: And the drama goes on! Evra almost got into a fight with fitness coach Duverne, apparently on the subject of the refusal of the players to train in a sign of protest against Anelka's exclusion. *barf* way to put the NT first, b/c God knows you don't need more training! Video courtesy of
daysofjune 
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