Raymond Domenech is playing down France’s past superiority over their World Cup semifinal opponents Portugal, saying it will count for nothing when the whistle blows in Munich on Wednesday.
Les Bleus have won all four of their clashes with Portugal, the most significant coming at Euro 2000 when they ran out 2-1 extra time winners in a fractious semifinal en route to taking the title.
They played Italy in the final that year and the azzurri could once again be waiting for them in Berlin next Sunday if they get the better of Germany in the other last four tie on Tuesday.
Domenech, referring to France’s record over Luis Felipe Scolari’s men, said: ”We’ve already beaten Portugal but I’m not into statistics, that’s history, this is 2006, the reality is on Wednesday night.”
The 54-year-old Domenech who has suddenly gone from villain to hero was speaking at a press conference near France’s World Cup base here less than 24 hours after Thierry Henry’s’ goal sent the defending champions back to Rio de Janeiro.
The French press could have been forgiven for expecting to turn up at a post-mortem on Sunday, but an inspired performance in Frankfurt with Zinedine Zidane at its heart meant the Tricolour outside the leisure centre in Hamlin wasn’t at halfmast and Domenech was smiling.
It also meant France had to cancel their flight back to Paris on Sunday, rejigging their schedule to take in a trip to Munich.
Domenech denied the Portuguese, who booked their semifinal berth with a penalty shoot-out win over England, would represent easier pickings than the Brazilians.
”They are a quality side who have proved capable of imposing their style of play on their rivals.
”I don’t know Scolari but I think he’s world champion isn’t he?” he grinned.
”That brings with it a certainty in what he does. I have a lot of respect for what he’s achieved.”
”Each match we’ve had is a test and up to now we’ve passed each one,” he added.
”The danger for us now is to think we’ve done it by beating Brazil, we’ve got to get the players back to where they were before that win.
”We’ve achieved something super, it’s always a pleasure when you reap the rewards of the work you’ve put in. But our work is not finished, we can’t let up.
”For me success at this World Cup only comes if we win. While we can get satisfaction afterwards from our performance here true pleasure will come from winning the title.”
The 1998 champions position in the last four looked a distant pipe dream after their flat opening games against Switzerland and South Korea, lacklustre performances Domenech in part put down to France’s woeful 2002 title defence.
”I think the ghost of losing to Senegal [1-0 in their opening match four years ago] held some of the players back. There was a desire not to repeat what happened there. I heard a few of them say after we qualified by beating Togo that ‘at last we can forget about 2002 now”’. – AFP
