Determined to see Gonzalo Higuain join the French team, Raymond Domenech did everything to convince the Argentinian.
Like David Trezeguet, another Argentine striker almost wore the French team jersey. Born in Brest, Gonzalo Higuain was in fact the object of assiduous courtship on the part of Raymond Domenech and the French Football Federation when he was still only 18 years old and had just arrived at Real Madrid after having studied at River Plate. And according to Julien Escudé, who then frequented the Blues, the French authorities believed they would achieve their goals.
The French coach had selected him with Karim Benzema for a friendly match against Greece and Clairefontaine was already ready to welcome him. “ I was at the castle and there was the room where Higuain was marked. the former international defender told After Foot on Wednesday. The attentions of the FFF will not change anything: Gonzalo Higuain, who had only lived ten months in Brittany when his father played at Stade Brestois and did not even speak French, was determined to play with Argentina. He will certainly have to wait three years before being called up, but the former Madrilenian ultimately played for ten years with the Albiceleste, compiling 31 goals in 75 caps.
Raymond Domenech explained in 2016 that he had been very insistent. “We’ve been talking about it at Real for a while, I’ve seen it before. And I absolutely wanted him to make a decision one way or the other. We talked about it, they told me that I wasn’t doing anything, that we weren’t taking care of it… So as I saw it, now, it was “either he comes, or he has to tell me no” . At one point, I presented him with a fait accompli. explained Raymond Domenech, ten years later, adding: “We had discussed it, he was hesitant, he didn’t know, I told him: “There you go, now there’s this match, you have to choose. Don’t leave them hanging, it’s up to you to decide in your soul and conscience. » Behind, Argentina wanted it too. He had to make a decision!”
