Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 9y

Jose Mourinho, Zinedine Zidane slammed in Domenech's new book

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is among the targets of former France coach Raymond Domenech in his latest book which also launches stinging attacks at Zinedine Zidane, David Luiz and Franck Ribery.

Domenech, 62, reminds readers in his new book "Mon dico passionne de foot" ("My passionate football dictionary") of Mourinho's humble beginnings as translator for Sir Bobby Robson at Barcelona.

"That's the problem with translators, they end up convincing themselves they have written the words themselves," he wrote of the Portuguese coach in the book, which was released in France on Wednesday.

Mourinho has since gone on the win league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain as well as claiming the Champions League twice.

Domenech guided Les Bleus to the 2006 World Cup final during his six-year tenure in charge, losing on penalties to Italy in Berlin.

The most memorable moment of the game was, however, Zidane's headbutt on Marco Materazzi, which ended the former Real Madrid star's career in ignominious fashion and brought an unequivocal rebuke from his former boss.

"He sacrificed the France team's chances for the sake of his pride," Domenech wrote, before contrasting Zidane's behaviour with that of Thierry Henry, who handled the ball in setting up the goal that took his nation to the 2010 finals in South Africa at the expense of the Republic of Ireland. "He [Henry] sacrificed his image for the sake of the France team."

Domenech's reign as France coach ended following the catastrophic campaign four years ago, which was overshadowed by the infamous "bus of shame" strike of the whole squad at Knysna.

While the central figure of his previous book, Nicolas Anelka -- whose exclusion from the squad was the cause of the strike -- is dismissed as a "Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde" character, Domenech now takes aim at Ribery, an alleged driving force behind the strike.

"He made Les Bleus put up with the weight of his unhappiness, his stupidity even, in South Africa and afterwards. But Sir, since, is sulking because he wanted to be Ballon d'Or."

An uncompromising full-back during his successful playing career, Domenech also targeted Paris Saint-Germain's 50 million-euro summer signing Luiz who -- according to Domenech -- "gives off an aura of everything bar security."

^ Back to Top ^