Raymond Domenech vs. Scottish Ball Boys
I’ll admit that I did not predict Scotland’s win over France on Saturday in Euro 2008 qualifying, but little did I know ahead of time that Scotland had a twelfth man: its ball boys.
The kids roaming the sidelines are the subject of France coach Raymond Domenech’s scorn. He was less than happy with the speed in which they returned balls to the field of play.
“I know what the Scottish fans and the team are like, it is a country that believes in fair play,” he said. “However, I am disappointed with the attitude of the ball boys who slowed down the game and stopped the flow of the game. It is regrettable in a country like Scotland which is known for its fair play.”
Those plucky Scottish kids aren’t ones to sit back and take criticism lightly.
Domenech may or may not be correct about the kids, but either way he comes off as being an asshole who is making a rather lame excuse for his team’s poor performance. Instead of pointing the fingers publicly at the ball kids, he should go back and re-consult his astrology charts so that he fields his country’s best 11 players.
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Dear Jane,
Hello !!
Like french commentators, and many french spectators, i saw the bad attitude of the Scottish Ball boys too. So i presume we were victims of a group hallucination. I heard the French anthem and the french players booed. May be it was what we could call the new scottish fair play, and i am an as$h0le. I saw many agressions, anti play and tackles that deserved yellow or red card too. But for it we know it’s a custom called fighting spirit in Scotland, faults and aggressions in “so called professional” nation of football!lol. “The guy” like others french was not “humiliated” ’cause he knew it will be a rought combat. Never a draw between France and Scotland 7 victories 7 defeats.
“Scotland was going to whip his pants”: Well, hum…you took an acid, din’t you?
Hope Italy will “play” against Scotland otherwise we will see two teams who never meet each others. We love Scotland anyway, probably fear and the memory of a 5-0 defeat provoked this kind of attitude. Just hope Scotland play the same defensif match against Italy. For your information Domenech said in few words he was disappointed against the comportement of the scottish ball boys and i think he’s right it wasn’t a district game and the rule is the same for all even Scotland, but he said as he often siad there was no excuse and that he was no surprised compared to the value of the opponent and that a squad who dominate a match had to score.
Like said Nancy Reagan “Just say no”.lol
I kiss you and hope a scottish qualification with France of course.
Posted from
France
Thierry,
Hello again. Please get real!! You never never vindicate children full stop under any circumstances and for a grown man to blame children is pathetic. These children weren’t under any instructions to ‘go slow’ just accept the fact that Scotland was the better team and France lost, children had nothing to do with it. The French team went out on to the pitch with the attitude “oh it’s only Scotland” but your coach if he had been doing his job correctly ( instead of star gazing and watching his predictions in the stars) he should have been watching the Scotland team play it’s previous matches and then he would have seen how much they had improved under new management. Stop whinging, accept your defeat and move on!!!! France will have to do a lot better to qualify but then it’s probably written in the stars!!!!!
Posted from
Japan
Thierry, have you been watching the Euros? what do you mean “Hope Italy will paly Scotland” Huh they are in the same group, you know it is a sort of knock out tournament were 2 teams from the group go through!! of course they will play Italy. Want to talk football then learn the rules. Oh and by the way hopefully even France can manage a win against the Faroe Islands, but then again what are the stars telling your coach?
Posted from
Japan
Sweet Jane,
Are you trying to tell some jokes ?lol. Sorry, but NO ONE said that the proud progeny of the very wet highlands of Scotland were responsible for the french defeat.Absurd. On the other hand, behind each child there is an adult. And if scottish didn’t respect french players i don’t see why their children did.
“These children weren’t under any instructions to go slow”. How do you know it? What i saw didn’t really reinforce me in a such certainty. These kind of instructions existed exist and will exist. And even sometimes weren’t necessary. Nevermind.
Have we seen the same match? NOTHING in the way french played showed they took scottish under neath. I see here the never-ending reproachs “french are arrogants…” It seems injustified this time.
I don’t have a particular admiration for Domenech. But explain me what do you mean by “doing his job correctly”. I thought this time HE DO IT CORRECTLY. What did you want him to do? Play like Scotland, all players in defense for the draw(what a beautiful match we could have seen just Henry and Mc Fadden dribbled themself in the middle of the pitch all the others looked them in defense), it is not in french mentality, supporters didn’t forgive him. Do you seriously think He hasn’t been watching previous matches of Scotland? Even i, i saw their previous matches and they never played a such defensive game, i could bet you they won’t played like this with the others teams(even against Italia). Otherwise this has surprised no one because all the teams played France as they were the Champions since a lot of time(Suisse ukraine, Corée…) In a certain way fear may be a kind of respect.
To the astrology tendency of our marvellous coach, it made me laugh too. But i presume this poor guy at the end of a boring interview after he said he loved literracy, his dog his wife his child and his mother wished to appear original and said he loved astrology, press and globalisation wrote the rest of the legend. Beyond Australian press during Rugby WC all the dildos were sold to english ’cause they had some sexual difficulty. Didn’t take it seriously.
Posted from
France
Mary Jane,
What kind of little devil are you?
Of course i knew Scotland will play against Italy. I did mean the players of the two teams won’t see each others ’cause each team will play on his part of pitch in defense.
P.S
“Scotland was the better team.” Happy to see drugs are freely sold in Japan. It would be a pleasure to analyse the match with you when you will wish.
With all my best.
Posted from
France
Thierry Mary Jane???
Glad you see sense in “the better team won’ Don’t need drugs don’t do drug don’t agree with drugs!!!!!!!!
No need to analyse the match the score speaks for itself and so does the whinging from the French quarter. Not a little devil at all, just an ardant football fan who likes the truth.
Posted from
Japan
Jane,
The truth? You had never be afraid for Scotland team during the match. You always think that better team win. Really? Beyond you what’s happened if Henry score his free kick and what will happen to Scotland team if french squad will score first at Stade de France, Hum?
Posted from
France
Thierry, We would accept defeat as graciously as we did when we won and certainly without the whinging. We will well and truly leave your ball ‘people’ with the respect they deserve and we certainly wouldn’t use them as an excuse if we lost!
” If ” being the operative word.
Posted from
Japan
dear Jane,
Have you really accepted the last 5-0 defeat graciously? Or else why have you booed french anthem and french players? You said you will respect french team if they would win but you seem unable to respect it when it lost. Unable to admit they had totally dominated the match. Unable to admit Scotland score on their alone occasion. As a former player we used to had an expression for this kind of match: perfect hold up. Pleased to talk with you, i presume you tease me ’cause i wouldn’t learn you have any drugs problem.
Posted from
France
Thierry,
I think you have become very personal especially accusing me of having a drug problem, you don’t know me so how dare you assume!!! and I take serious offense at this.
We are not talking about whether Scotland or France won, any past defeat be it for Scotland or France we are talking about an imbecile of a manager of France who has the audacity to accuse CHILDREN I repeat CHILDREN of foul play because they supposedly brought the ball back too slowly!!!!. For Christ sake man get a life!!!!!!!!!! It doesn’t matter who won or who didn’t win you never ever ever use children as a mistake for an adults inability to manage his team. Please stop quoting past history of wins or losses I am not interested just sort out your manager to accept the fact that his team lost and that he should grow up and accept the responsibility of his team losing without blaming children. He is making the French nation a laughing stock to the rest of the world. Perhaps the French do not respect their children the way we do, who knows.
Posted from
Japan
Well I am not at all French and i dont support any of the nations you are talking about but I think if indeed the ball boys did show some deliberate slowness in bringing back the ball then the coach has got a point in trying to stamp that out. It is just not good for the FAIR play slogan of the game. I am pretty sure that if it happened to scotland their coach would have raised that concern if he notices it. I would have also been anoyed as well if it happened to the team i support. but at the same time im not saying the coach was right to say thingns would have been otherwise had it not being of the balllboys of which i am not sure he said. Watch Brazil play you wont see that time wasting tactics.
Peter,
Agree with you. I Don’t imagine at Flushing Meadows US OPEN a french VS an american tennis man. The BB don’t give the ball to the french and say “I don’t give the ball to you ’cause i want you to loose and the crowd cheer him, ridiculous.
Posted from
France
It’s pretty pathetic when not only a national team coach say’s these things, but he has the support of some fans as well.
So the French reputation as graceless loosers continues to grow. Well done.
What it is pretty pathetic dear john is that some ridiculous racists agitators like you, could never get a life.
Posted from
France
Is it right for ball boys to delay the game by holding on to the ball in order for their team to wind down the clock. Anyone is welcomed to give me his opinion. The Scottish people seems to like it but im not sure if they would like it if it was to happen to them. Can one person raise one point supporting this bad behaviour of bad ball boys. Lets use brains to think not hearts. By the way i am not french but the truth remains no one would have been pleased with such behaviour of the BB. I have noted that Thiery is not denying defeat but pointing out the bad thing that occurd during the match and according to his comments he did not like it as much as i would not have had i watched the match. Guys the scoreline stands but something has to be done about those ball boys. I am pretty sure Fifa will take my side on this matter. Lets not destroy the beautiful game please!!!!!
There’s something missing from this comment. I’m no great fan of Domenech but here’s the context behind his remarks about the Scottish ballboys:
The British press reported that some on the Scottish management team who attended the France-Italy game in September that the French had put several ballboys for both teams all around the pitch so that immediately a ball could be replaced after it had been taken out of play. The French do this regularly apparently, not everyone does. It’s a mark of the more technically advanced teams, so as not to interrupt the flow and momentum of a match.
The report I saw said that this is especially beneficial for technically superior teams like Italy and France. Domenech is accustomed to quick response from ballboys. The Scots saw this in the September match and deliberately slowed down the tempo of response whenever the ball was put out of play by putting fewer ballboys available on the pitch. It was completely in keeping with Alan Smith’s approach to shut down the French momentum as much as possible.
As for the match itself…well, it’s the perfect example of why I sometimes wonder if I’ll just have to stop watching the sport altogether some day soon. I’m supposed to be impressed by a team that could barely hold the ball for more than 2 seconds, spent 90+ minutes brutalizing opposing players with late challenges nowhere near the ball, barely able to make an attack on their own, just reacting for most of the match? Granted, the match showed that France has some things to work on but they dominated the game and played beautiful football, and fouled far less than the Scots: 16 fouls v. 3. There was only one team on that pitch actually PLAYING FOOTBALL and it wasn’t Scotland.
I’d never seen the Scottish national team play, I truly wished them well, even tho I supported France. I had no preconceptions about them. I’ve only seen a few games with Celtic and Rangers and I have fond memories of my trip to Edinburgh in 1994. I expected physical play as in the English style, I didn’t expect the level of thuggery the Scots showed on Saturday. Even proud Scotsman Bobby McMahon on Fox Soccer Channel said the Scots were “brutal” and that one player in particular deserved a red card, not a yellow (his name escapes me).
Nonetheless Smith’s approach worked and Domenech and his men need to tighten up his team’s resolve to confront that coarse brutal style in the future. It’s the only way teams can beat Europe’s best team (the one that plays the most attractive football, that is).
Posted from
United States
The great French apologist speaks again. Apparently we all have taken Domenech’s words out of context.
Just when you think you’ve heard it all like a National Team Coach blaming ball boy’s/girls for a loss it gets one upped by someone actually defending the comments.
Bravo and again well done.
I don’t care what any of you say!! I just think it is highly offensive and pathetic to blame children for slowing the game down!!!
I suppose when the french children, at christmas time, don’t get what they ask for in their stocking you all blame Santa!!
These are young boys and girls who take the honour of being selected to represent their country as ball persons very seriously. I don’t think for one minute there was a hidden agenda.
If Domenech was a man he would publicily apologise to these defenceless children and accept defeat graciously. The Scots were hard ‘ brutal’even I have heard stated. Never forget what the rest of the world will always remember and thats the “brutal and savage’ attack by Zidane now we are talking abuse, brutality and mentality.
Posted from
Japan
Dear Jane,
First, i already had posted a comment to you but it seem it had been deleted.
I am sincerely sorry you seem to take that very seriously. I am surprised you didn’t quote i joked LOL means Laughing Out Loud. I never wished to insult you and will never do it. I respect all the opinion else trolls like John and even hope one day he will able to talk with someone. Life is short,if it is funny to tease each other, i have better things to do than insult unknowns because of what they think about a football team.
To the great “scandal”: i think we will don’t beat a cat with it.LOL(literrally, translation of a french expression).
DOMENECH NEVER BLAMED OR ACCUSED SCOTTISH BB FOR THIS DEFEAT. ABSURD AND DISHONEST. THE Comments OF BOB are often ironical and polemical. In fact, Jane i presume you didn’t known anything about this story but just reacted violently to defend what you thought is “proud of your…nation?”. Have you seen him on TV ,when he spoken the day after? Probably not. To your information he just answered to a question at the end of the match which was (something like that):A rought match with no a lot fair play, no? And he answered(aproximatively) Well some disappointement with the BB, strong reaction of the public, but we will know exactly what it wiil be before, but it was smashing, i think the players like this kind of match(…) you had been surprised by the Scotland team? surprised no, we all the players knew it will be difficult and it will be a rough combat, sometimes when you dominate too much(…) He never talked the day after about anti fair play or nothing else like this. The French TV had shown three or five occasion and big faults in the box which could had been penalty. Often when journalists asked him about referee he often said yes it ’s true we may be lost this occasion to score but there is no excuse… A. Wenger commented the match he quote the BB slowing the game down, the others commentators quoted it too. Near the end of the match A. Wenger even said “well now, the scottish play like south americans, they search fault or do faults to break the play.” I quoted the reaction of the BB too and i watched the match with Scottish when i launched my arms to the sky shouting “heyy what are they doing? (About BB) Scottish wereLOL.
Thierry thank you for you comments. Yes I am from Scotland, a small nation with very few inhabitants compared to France and we are very very proud of our football team for achieving so much in so few games in the Euros however irrespective of that we honour our children more than anything else on this planet. To have some loud mouthed coach come forth and state that children ‘have slowed down the game by not getting the ball back quickly enough’ is absolutely pathetic and I for one will never forgive him. I have read the children’s (ball persons) statements on their version of what happened and I am inclined to believe them rather than some coach who feels bad because his team didn’t perform as expected. So no matter what you say to me Thierry I will not forget what this monster has accused Scottish children of doing and I am telling you he was wrong!!! Please have a nice day.
Posted from
Japan
Oh by the way Thierry if you have to listen to A. Wenger then you know no history at all. There is always conflict in anything that is said and done by the Scots particulary by those in England so his remarks being employed by the ‘Gunners” is very predictable.
Posted from
Japan
and we have another apologist for Domenech. im starting not to like you Thierry.
Jane normal people agree that what Domenech said was shameful.
regards
john
John Thank God for somebody with common sense and respect for the children of this world.
Posted from
Japan
Ramasseur de balles 1
La France 0
Posted from
United Kingdom
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Bob, the guy is an absolute a*sehole. Coming from Brechin in the North East of Scotland I know that these kids are honoured to be selected at the football matches and it must stick in their throats that a so called professional coach can claim and state the remark he did. The guy is obviously humiliated and had know idea that good ole Scotland was going to whip his pants. Check the Euros Good Ole Scotland are the only team to play 3 and win 3 doing well for themselves and we are mighty proud of them. I know a long way to go but heres hoping.
I wonder what the next excuse will be when France next play? probably wrong coloured ball or a full moon perhaps lol
Posted from
Japan