France's 2-1 loss to South Africa sealed an embarrassing end to a shameful World Cup appearance that included everything from Nicolas Anelka being sent home early to the team boycotting a training sessionand the team's sponsors abandoning them. The negative displays, however, continued.
Once the final whistle blew, French manager Raymond Domenech - whose successor, Laurent Blanc, already was named before the tournament even started - began the customary ritual of shaking hands with those around him, but when South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira offered his hand and a smile, Domenech shook his finger at him and tried to walk away.
Parreira grabbed him by the jacket and tried to talk to him, but Domenech - a man who called his own team "unspeakably stupid" before the match - decided to continue with behavior which is considered unbecoming in sports' circles and lecture the Brazilian with strong finger pointing.
Once the press got a hold of Domenech, he didn't offer any answers for his actions.
From the AFP:
"I have no intention of replying to this question," he said.
"Is there another question?" he asked after the question was posed to him again by another journalist.
A third tried his luck: "Why are you refusing to answer this question?"
Domenech responded: "Is there another question?"
"If these are all the questions you are going to ask me, I am going to leave you, we are not from the same world," he added later, in response to a question about the crisis in the French team.
From the AFP:
"I have no intention of replying to this question," he said.
"Is there another question?" he asked after the question was posed to him again by another journalist.
A third tried his luck: "Why are you refusing to answer this question?"
Domenech responded: "Is there another question?"
"If these are all the questions you are going to ask me, I am going to leave you, we are not from the same world," he added later, in response to a question about the crisis in the French team.
Parreira, meanwhile, at least tried to explain the rudeness he was subjected to:
"I believe it was because I had criticised his team after they qualified [when they controversially beat Ireland in the playoffs], but I really don't remember.
"This is what his assistants told me."
"I believe it was because I had criticised his team after they qualified [when they controversially beat Ireland in the playoffs], but I really don't remember.
"This is what his assistants told me."
So in the end, it all goes back to Ireland and that Thierry Henry handball. French fans abandoned their team to root for South Africa.
