Raymond Domenech facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Raymond Domenech

Domenech in 2007
Personal information
Date of birth	(1952-01-24) 24 January 1952 (age 73)
Place of birth	Lyon, France
Height	1.79 m
Playing position	Full-back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1969–1977	Lyon	246	(7)
1977–1981	Strasbourg	128	(4)
1981–1982	Paris Saint-Germain	19	(1)
1982–1984	Bordeaux	40	(3)
1984–1985	Mulhouse	13	(0)
Total		433	(15)
National team
1973–1979	France	8	(0)
Teams managed
1984–1988	Mulhouse
1988–1993	Lyon
1993–2004	France U21
1996	France Olympic
2004–2010	France
2020–2021	Nantes
Honours Men's football Representing  France (as manager) FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Runner-up 2002 Third 1996
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Domenech playing in 1976

Raymond Manuel Albert Domenech (born 24 January 1952) is a French football coach and former player. He was the manager of the French national team from 2004 to 2010. During his time, he led the team to the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was later removed from his role after the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to problems with the team.

Raymond Domenech's Coaching Career

Raymond Domenech has had a long career coaching football teams. He started with younger teams before moving to the senior national team.

Coaching France's Under-21 Team

Domenech became the coach of the France national under-21 football team in 1993. He led them in several important tournaments.

• 1994 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: France hosted this tournament. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Italy in a penalty shootout. Italy went on to win the championship.
• 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: France again reached the semi-finals. They were knocked out by Italy, who later won the title.
• 1996 Summer Olympics: Because they finished third in the 1996 European Under-21 Championship, France qualified for the Olympics. They won their group but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Portugal.
• Later Under-21 Tournaments: France did not qualify for the 1998 or 2000 European Under-21 Championships. In 2000, they lost to Italy in a play-off game that went into extra time.
• 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship: Domenech also coached the France national under-20 football team briefly. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to Argentina, who were the hosts and eventual champions.
• 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: France had a strong run, winning all their group matches. They reached the final but lost to the Czech Republic in a penalty shootout.
• 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: France played very well in the qualifying stage, not losing any games. However, they lost to Portugal in a play-off penalty shootout, which meant they did not qualify for the main tournament.

Coaching the Senior France National Team

On 12 July 2004, Raymond Domenech was chosen to manage the France national football team. This was a bit of a surprise choice.

The 2006 World Cup Journey

France had a tough time in the qualifying games for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Domenech convinced some famous players, like Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makélélé, and Lilian Thuram, to come out of retirement and help the team. This helped France qualify for the World Cup finals.

During the World Cup, France started slowly with two draws. But they improved and beat Togo to move forward. They then defeated strong teams like Spain, Brazil, and Portugal. France reached the final but lost to Italy in a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1. Zidane was named the best player of the tournament.

Euro 2008 Challenges

In 2007, there was some discussion when Domenech called up Claude Makélélé for Euro 2008 qualifiers, even though Makélélé had retired from international football. Domenech said he had the right to pick him. At the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, France finished last in their group and did not move past the first stage. After France was eliminated, Domenech proposed to his girlfriend, Estelle Denis, live on television. He later said this was not very professional.

The 2010 World Cup and Its Aftermath

France qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after a controversial play-off game against the Republic of Ireland. During that game, Thierry Henry handled the ball before a goal was scored, which caused a lot of debate.

At the World Cup finals, France struggled. They drew their first game and then lost to Mexico. After the Mexico game, there were some disagreements within the team, and a player, Nicolas Anelka, was sent home. The next day, the players refused to train for a short time due to these problems. France's World Cup journey ended with a loss to South Africa, and they finished last in their group without winning a single game. Domenech was later removed from his job as coach due to the issues that happened during the tournament.

Later Coaching Roles

After leaving the national team, Domenech started coaching younger players. In November 2010, he began coaching an under-11 team. He also donated some of his World Cup bonus money to the club and to charity.

In December 2020, after ten years away from managing a senior team, Domenech signed with Ligue 1 club Nantes. However, his time there was short. He was released from his duties in February 2021, as the team did not win any games during his eight matches in charge.

Personal Life and Interests

Domenech with his former partner Estelle Denis in 2012

Raymond Domenech was in a relationship with French TV presenter Estelle Denis. They have two children together, a daughter born in 2004 and a son born in 2007. They separated in 2020.

Domenech is interested in astrology, which is the study of how the positions of stars and planets might influence people's lives. He believes that people's personalities are shaped by their star signs. He has said that he did not pick his football squads based on astrology.

Honours

Manager

France

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2006

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2002;

third place: 1996

See also

In Spanish: Raymond Domenech para niños