The French team has restored its image since this famous 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but the Netflix documentary “The bus, the Blues on strike” devoted to the adventures of Raymond Domenech’s gang was expected. Notably because the former coach of the Blues (2004-2010) has finally agreed to review all the events which led, among others, to the Knysna scandal. In this nearly 80-minute documentary, few of the Blues agreed to speak. In addition to Domenech, there were former captain Patrice Evra (captain), William Gallas, Bacary Sagna and the man who then served as press officer for the Tricolores, François Manardo.
Domenech trashes his players in his diary
Characters often cited in this 2010 fiasco, Franck Ribéry, Jérémy Toulalan and Yoann Gourcuff are absent from this documentary, but the presence of Domenech and Manardo was enough to add a little salt. And once again, the former Blues coach was confusing. So often silent when he was questioned about this scandal, Domenech has, this time, completely given full access to his diary. And the least we can say is that the former OL defender did not carry certain elements in his heart. Starting with veterans Thierry Henry and William Gallas. “Thierry Henry was born on August 17. Ordinary lion: he looks at his navel”, “Gallas is always a mouthful. I won’t be able to endure much longer.”he writes about the former defender upset at having seen the captain’s armband given to Patrice Evra. But that’s not all.
At the end of the first group match against Uruguay (0-0), we learned that Yoann Gourcuff was sacrificed by Domenech. A moment told by Patrice Evra. “People came to me like I was the nanny because there was no coach: ‘Pat, go talk to the coach, we’re only doing shit, tell him to change his workouts.’ There, I go to see Raymond: “Coach…”. “Oh I know what you want, you want me to sacrifice the lamb!” Well I’m going to put the guillotine on him, Gourcuff isn’t playing tomorrow! » I said: “But coach, what are you talking about? » “No, I don’t care, I don’t want to hear anything, I’ve made my decision: Gourcuff is not playing tomorrow. » The players went crazy, they told me: “But Pat, we’re going straight into a wall”. He’s crazy! »
A mole who didn’t know he was the mole
For his part, Domenech confirmed in his diary all the good things he thought of the ex-Bordelais. “Gourcuff, but he’s an idiot. Mild autistic first and stupid then”. Atmosphere. Then, there was the famous clash with Nicolas Anelka at half-time of the France-Mexico match (0-2) and the famous front page of The Team on the insults that the former striker allegedly uttered towards Domenech. A version contested by the latter “He spoke to me”confided Domenech, before adding that Anelka would have told him “make it your shit team”. On the other hand, the former coach once again used his logbook to scratch his player. “Anelka who passed by without looking at me. This big idiot! ». Then, after the episode of the players’ training strike, Domenech seemed relieved by the act which made France look ridiculous in the eyes of the whole world. “This is your best collective action of the entire World Cup. Suicide has been committed! Hallelujah! »
Finally, we may have finally had the answer to the other great mystery of this cursed World Cup for the Blues, namely the identity of the famous mole who leaked the clash between Anelka and Domenech to the media. And according to journalist Vincent Duluc, present in the documentary, the mole does not know… that he is the mole. “The story itself is that the mole ignores himself. That is to say that the player who revealed to a journalist that this had happened at half-time in the locker room is not aware that he is the mole, he still does not know it. And according to Domenech, the unknowing mole could well be Franck Ribéry. “The start is a discussion with Ribéry in the mixed zone at the end of the match. And Franck would have said: “oh damn the coach at half-time with Nico, it was hot”. From there, journalists started looking. So they called the brothers, the agents, all the contacts they had with the players… And it was from there that all the information was sealed”. We will probably not know everything that happened that year in the Blues base camp, but one thing is certain: the atmosphere there was execrable.
