Domenech Suspended for Euro 2008 Qualifier

The UEFA hammer has come down upon the head of France manager Raymond Domenech. Europe’s football governing body has suspended Domenech for his team’s Euro 2008 qualifying match against Italy on September 8 and has fined him $8,200 for his comments about match fixing in Italian soccer.

You’ll recall that earlier this month Domenech was widely quoted as saying that Italy had bought a referee for a match against France’s your squad during a qualifier for the Sydney Olympics. UEFA boss Michel Platini asked Domenech to explain his comments and evidently the explanation wasn’t to Platini’s liking.

So now France will be without their manager during a critical match against Italy. It is hard to feel much sympathy for Domenech. Even if his allegations are true the fact that he waited years to bring them forth and the fact that he did so through an interview with a magazine only point to his own foolishness.