Domenech and Anelka warn Blanc over France job

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PARIS: French national team coach Raymond Domenech has warned his potential successor Laurent Blanc that managing ‘Les Bleus’ is a world away from managing a league club.And some of his players believe Blanc, who appears set to officially quit his post as Bordeaux coach, still has plenty to offer among Europe’s club elite before coaching the national team.

Blanc on Sunday took a major step towards replacing Domenech after the 2010 World Cup when he told his club he intends to officially apply for the job.

Although Blanc has yet to officially resign from Bordeaux, French football federation (FFF) president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said he was “delighted” Blanc had officially expressed an interest in the job.

“I’m delighted to hear of (Blanc’s) interest in the job,” said Escalettes, who has had Blanc at the top of his list for several weeks.

“Thanks to his sporting achievements, personality and charisma Laurent Blanc is the prototype of the national team coach the FFF is looking for.”

Blanc, a World Cup and Euro winning defender with France as a player, led Bordeaux to the 2009 league title and to the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League, losing to league rivals Lyon.

However his side could only finish sixth and out of the European places on Saturday’s final round of league matches.

And Domenech warned that tasting success at club level can’t be compared with the task of managing one of the world’s top-ranked national teams.

“I can’t judge. Laurent has proved that he is capable of managing a team, but a national team is a different job altogether,” said Domenech, a controversial figure who has often faced criticism from the French public, on TF1 television.

“Pretty quickly he will have to be ready, he has to deliver results. Personally, all I’m focusing on is getting to July 11 (the World Cup final).”

News of Blanc’s possible appointment has prompted a mixed response among some of the players.

Chelsea star Nicolas Anelka appears to favour Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, and believes that 44-year-old Blanc would be better off showcasing his obvious coaching talents among Europe’s club elite.

“If it’s not going to be Wenger, he (Blanc) could be the ideal candidate for the job,” said France striker Anelka.

“But I still tend to believe that he should coach a major European club first. The national team coach’s job has come too early for him. He could be very successful coaching some of Europe’s top clubs.”

Domenech is scheduled to leave his post after the World Cup with his successor due to be named before the tournament gets under way on June 11.

FFF president Escalettes said the next step would involve “drawing up an agreement which would pave the way for Laurent Blanc to take over as coach of France”.

The FFF president said the final decision on Blanc’s appointment would be “taken by the FFF federal council”, which could appoint him at its next meeting on May 20.

However France and Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan believes the timing of the news could prove detrimental to France’s World Cup campaign.

When asked if naming Domenech’s successor before the World Cup would prove problematic, he told the Journal Du Dimanche newspaper: “I don’t know what it could bring us in terms of a positive contribution, I think it would mostly throw a spanner into the works.

“We’re obviously going to be asked questions about it during the World Cup.

“And it’s not by knowing the identity (of the next coach) that we’re going to prepare better for the qualifiers for the Euro 2012.” — AFP