Euro-France must beat Romania or drown, says Domenech

[TheGift]

VEVEY, Switzerland, June 6 (Reuters) - France must win their Euro 2008 opener against Romania or face the prospect of drowning in Lake Geneva, coach Raymond Domenech said on Friday.

“That match will throw us into the tournament or into the lake,” said Domenech, speaking from the team’s Swiss base near Vevey ahead of Monday’s Group C game in Zurich.

More seriously, the coach said France might recover from a defeat, but it would be clearly better to beat opponents who see themselves as a potential surprise team of the finals.

“It will not necessarily be decisive because you can lose your first match and go all the way but the result of that match will have an influence on how the whole tournament goes,” he told reporters.

Domenech, who defied the odds by guiding France to the 2006 World Cup final, said the situation was different here with his team widely regarded as title contenders.

“People saw us as vulnerable at the World Cup but not here,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure on the team and we all want to achieve something special.”

The coach confirmed that captain Patrick Vieira, who has been hampered by a left thigh muscle and resumed training only on Thursday, would miss France’s opening match.

“The only thing for sure is that he will not play against Romania,” said Domenech, who will decide on Sunday whether Vieira stays in the squad for the remainder of the tournament.

France, also facing the Netherlands and world champions Italy in the tournament’s toughest group, can at least rely on an excellent atmosphere, Domenech said.

“They’re all friends and look happy together but the fact that they’re enjoying themselves is no guarantee that they will get a good result,” he said.

Famous for keeping his cards close to his chest, Domenech said little else but did say he was writing a diary.

“It’s about what’s happening now, the way things go and what I think,” he said.

“You won’t see it. It’s for my children.”

Euro-France must beat Romania or drown, says Domenech - World Soccer - Yahoo! Sports