Sleepless Domenech set for D-Day

France coach Raymond Domenech said he wants Wednesday's announcement of the seven players culled from his provisional 30-man squad to be the "start in earnest of our tournament".

Friendly encounter
Les Bleus' first warm-up match for UEFA EURO 2008™, against Ecuador in Grenoble on Tuesday, signalled the acceleration of preparations for next month's finals, but much of the talk beforehand centred on which unlucky players would miss the cut. France beat Ecuador 2-0 with two goals from debutant and half-time substitute Bafétimbi Gomis.

'Key moment'
"This will be the key moment of our week," said Domenech, who will lose one goalkeeper among the seven drop-outs. "I want this anouncement to be the start in earnest of our tournament." His thoughts were echoed by former international Bixente Lizarazu, who was part of a squad reduced on the eve of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. On that occasion, Domenech's mentor and predecessor, Aimé Jacquet, cut his selection from 28 to 22, sending home Lionel Letizi, Pierre Laigle, Martin Djetou, Sabri Lamouchi and current squad member Nicolas Anelka. "When the six players left ten years ago, we started to work as a team," said Lizarazu. "It was sad for them, but the players who stayed felt boosted by not having been dropped."

Sleepless night
After the Ecuador match, Domenech said that breaking the news to his players was something he was dreading. "I won't sleep tonight," he said. "I fear the moment I will have to look in the eye the seven players that are released." Domenech's decision to name a large party was necessitated by the appearance of 17 of his players in the UEFA Champions League, Coppa Italia and Coupe de France finals. No injuries were sustained in those games but the coach would prefer those he omits to remain on standby. "Those who will leave will be instructed to stay prepared in case of last-minute injuries, because we may still need them."