A while later, he offered no apologies, although he did praise Ireland for a spirited performance in their 2-1 aggregate playoff defeat by the former world and European champions.
"To go to university, you need A-levels but you don't need to have passed them with honours," Domenech said. "You have your A-levels, so you can go. That's where we stand."
Such statements were not a surprise to the France fans who had heard the same man ask his partner, television journalist Estelle Denis, to marry him immediately after France lost to Italy in the 2006 World Cup final.
An uncompromising defender with a thick moustache in his playing days, Domenech, whose name has been booed at all matches since he was left in charge after France's Euro 2008 flop, has never made any effort to make himself popular.
"I needed that," he once said.
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With only eight caps to his name and not a single title as a coach despite a long spell with France's Under-21 side, Domenech has faced a tough task ever since taking over the team in 2004.
The stubborn Domenech, however, lent himself to criticism with other choices such as overlooking David Trezeguet or using Karim Benzema, arguably France's most gifted striker, only as a substitute.
With all the talent they have, France are perfectly capable of going a long way in South Africa, even if they did very little to suggest that against Ireland.
THEATRE LOVER
"We suffered the way whe have suffered for the last two years but the important thing is we all want to go the World Cup and show something there," Domenech said.
"I'm convinced this team have a date with destiny in 2010."
A theatre lover with a passion for astrology, Domenech is described by those who know him well as clever and charming. The pressure is still on him after a dismal performance against Ireland, with Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot telling French radio station RTL: "If we continue like this, we will not stay in South Africa very long. He (Domenech) has plenty of work to do if he
