Several Names In Line For French Post

Rumours are rife that the forthcoming internationals against Romania and Tunisia could be the last in the reign of Raymond Domenech and already successors are being lined up to take his spot…

Described as being on “an ejector seat” by France Football today, Raymond Domenech, whose survival instincts match that of a cockroach’s, may finally be forced to give his role as French national coach up.

President of the FFF, the unpopular Jean-Pierre Escalettes (pictured), who has been using Domenech as a political puppet since Euro2008, may well be ready to yield the axe on his commander ahead of the elections for the presidency of the FFF, which take place in November with the incumbent seeking a second term.

Although Laurent Blanc and Alain Boghossian are two names that have been widely mentioned in connection with the post, it is two other figures who lead the charge for the position.

Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, who is currently with the FFF as a technical director, is believed to be the preferred candidate of the federation according to le Parisien. Certainly the evidence does point to the former school teacher taking charge for a second term after an ill-fated spell from July 1992 to November 1993 as he has installed his former assistant Alain Simon as the doctor of the side.

World Cup winning captain Didier Deschamps is the other prime candidate, although Escalettes has made clear his desire to keep the top job away from one of the class of ’98.