Raymond Domenech served out his suspension in the stands, the France coach serving a touchline ban as his team faced Italy in last night's San Siro stalemate. However, Italian FA (FIGC) president Giancarlo Abete reveals that he saw Domenech in a locker room prior to the match - an illegal move for Domenech, if true...
Italian FA president Giancarlo Abete claims that Raymond Domenech was illegally in a locker room prior to last night's match between France and Italy at the San Siro.
The French manager had been suspended from matchday duty following remarks made about Italian football to the French press, with his ban extending to locker rooms, technical facilities and, above all, the dugout.
So he was to watch the match from the stands, which he did. However, Abete contends that, before the game, he was out of bounds.
The president said, "I saw Domenech in the locker rooms before the match when I was there. We weren't that bothered about what he was doing, but I did bump into him."
Domenech had said before the game that he had worked out a pre-emptive system of decisions with his assistant, Pierre Mankowski, that would keep him away from the techical areas.
If the allegations by Abete turn out to be true, Domenech could face further punishment from UEFA.
So, too, could Italy, albeit for different reasons. The French national anthem was jeered by considerable sections of the home support - an incident that left Abete red-faced.
He added, "We need to get this kick of thing out of our sporting culture."
Perhaps with more than a touch of 'they started it', he sniffed, "It's a shame, considering that, before and during the game, our players were brilliant at not falling into the trap of provocation."
