Former France coach Raymond Domenech has reportedly been fired from his last remaining job with the French Football Federation for his role in the team's disastrous World Cup.
The federation told Domenech in writing Thursday that he was fired from his post on the federation's technical advisory board, France-3 TV said Sunday. Domenech had been on the board since 1993 and was paid 10,000 euros ($12,900) a month.
The TV station said Domenech, whose contract as coach expired in July after the World Cup in South Africa, was fired from the board for making a "grave error" in three ways.
They were his handling of the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka from the World Cup, the subsequent strike by the squad from a practice session, and his refusal to shake the hand of South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after France's 2-1 loss in the group stage.
Anelka was sent home after his profane tirade against Domenech during France's 2-0 loss to Mexico was published in the French media. The rest of the squad then boycotted a practice session, to the horror of the French public.
The federation faulted Domenech for allegedly not providing details about Anelka's tirade to the federation's then-president, and for reading a letter from the players explaining their boycott to the media.
As for the handshake refusal, Parreira said a France assistant coach had told him afterward that Domenech was angry because the Brazilian had said his team didn't deserve to be at the World Cup.
Press reports in December quoted Parreira as saying France wouldn't have qualified if not for striker Thierry Henry's "shameful" handball, which helped France beat Ireland in a playoff in November. Parreira has denied these quotes.
The reports Sunday could not immediately be verified. No one answered repeated calls by The Associated Press to FFF headquarters and the mobile phone of its spokesman.
The media said Domenech has to decide whether he wants to negotiate a severance package, which the federation reportedly doesn't want to pay. The issue could end up before a state labor arbitration panel.
Federation president Fernand Duchaussoy said he met with Domenech last week and that a gentlemen's agreement was likely to be found within a month.
French newspapers reported after the World Cup that Domenech could receive up to 2 million euros ($2.5 million) in severance.
