Mali and England Call Ups Released

[Inara]

This time, Domenech called up 39 players, including four newcomers: Mathieu Valbuena, Adil Rami, Mathieu Delpierre, and Mathieu Bodmer (finally!).

David Trezeguet and Hugo Lloris miss out. :(

Goalkeepers: Gregory Coupet (Lyon), Mickael Landreau (PSG), Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)

Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Lyon), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Francois Clerc (Lyon), Mathieu Delpierre (Stuttgart), Julien Escude (Seville), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), William Gallas (Arsenal), Gael Givet (Marseille), Philippe Mexes (AS Roma), Adil Rami (Lille), Bakary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Lyon), Lilian Thuram (Barcelona)

Midfielders: Mathieu Bodmer (Lyon), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth), Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Samir Nasri (Marseille), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Jerome Rothen (PSG), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan)

Strikers: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Hatem Ben Arfa (Lyon), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Djibril Cisse (Marseille), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Louis Saha (Manchester Utd), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)

France call up four new caps (http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=717306.html)

[Ballon d'or Identity]

Where are we playing those games ?
Stade de France ? If yes, we're going to have two games away again :(

[guignol]

maybe trez needs to change his first name to matthieu!

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

Am I the only one who had to go to a L1 website or similar to look up Adil Rami of Lille?

As Inara mentioned, Trez and Hugo have to be the two big "huh, what's going on?" Raymond selections, though nice to see that Mexès isn't on the "avoid at all costs" list yet.

Oh, good to see Bodmer as well, he's been deserving.

[Nanbawan]

I was looking forward to seeing Valbuena in blue, let's see how it unfolds...

A 30m strike in the goal, BAM !!! :eek::D

[Inara]

Domenech is expanding his variety, which is especially good for L1. It's refreshing to see some other French clubs besides the big 3. Remember the days when hardly any French internationals played in L1?

Lyon (9 players)
Marseille (5 players)
Arsenal (4 players)
Barcelona (3 players)
Chelsea (3 players)
Lille (2 players)
PSG (2 players)
Manchester United (2 players)
Bordeaux (1 player)
Rennes (1 player)
Sevilla (1 player)
Inter Milan (1 player)
Fiorentina (1 player)
Roma (1 player)
Stuttgart (1 player)
Bayern (1 player)
Portsmouth (1 player)

France - 20 players
England - 10 players
Spain - 4 players
Italy - 3 players
Germany - 2 players

[SuperSebGrimaldi]

It's a shame that Nice aren't included among the clubs in which Domenech selected players from. Is he watching L1 like us or did one of his assistants tell him not to pick Lloris as Hugo could be vital in Les Bleuets' attempt to qualify for the Euro U-21s, as the team's underachieving at the moment?

[Inara]

It could be. If he takes Lloris as well, that only leaves Riou, and he hasn't been shining recently.

I still think Lloris>Mandanda, but Domenech has made it clear that he cares about what team a player is from, and it's especially important that the goalkeeper be used to playing in high stakes matches (PSG isn't in Europe this year, but Landreau has a lot of experience to compensate). Domenech might have relaxed his standards this time around, but most of the players from smaller clubs will be chilling with the A'.

Marseille's campaign in the Champions League might have been short-lived, but it's more than Lloris has ever experienced, and when you have two exceptional young candidates, these things matter in the end.

Lloris needs to come to Lyon ASAP.

[SportBoy333]

I need some info on Mathieu Delpierre.

[Catel]

I need some info on Mathieu Delpierre.
Five seasons at Lille then won the Bundesliga with Magnin and Fernando Meira.

Never saw him playing...


PS: wow, Sinama-Pongolle called up in place of Saha :eek: I know someone here who will be pleased :p

[SportBoy333]

I just looked him up. Says he was born in Nancy and was a member of Nantes' youth academy. Kind of strange he never played for FCNA or his hometown club(ASNL)

[Catel]

He was refused for FC Nantes, played only in the "sport-studies school" of Nantes, not in the youth academy. He was formed directly at Lille.

[JediMindTricks]

i think i'm going to get a trezeguet away jersey as a silent protest. hahaha...

[olephill2]

Why the hell does Raymond Domenech hate David Trezeguet so much?

Seriously, it's ridiculous to deny such a class player call-ups.

[HomeatHighbury]

No Trezeguet once again, not surprising in the least. Oh well. Guess an out of form Thierry will have to do :rolleyes: Am pleased to see Bodmer called up. Have never seen him but have heard some good things.

[guignol]

Lloris needs to come to Lyon ASAP.as much as i'd like to see him sign here, it would only be a good career move for him in the long term. playing at nice isn't going to get him into the EdF, but neither is being backup in lyon, and i see coupet staying and starting until 2010. unless greg decides to leave this summer to finish his career abroad, but i.d much rather see a smoother transition, at least all next season together for them to pass the baton.

[Inara]

as much as i'd like to see him sign here, it would only be a good career move for him in the long term. playing at nice isn't going to get him into the EdF, but neither is being backup in lyon, and i see coupet staying and starting until 2010. unless greg decides to leave this summer to finish his career abroad, but i.d much rather see a smoother transition, at least all next season together for them to pass the baton.

I don't know, I have a hard time believing that Coupet will be playing at Lyon that long. He's never hidden his desire to try a foreign experiment before he retires, and he's always complaining about how France doesn't trust older gks like other leagues. Coupet is 35 now, so by 2010 he'll be 37. Though he's recovered better from his injury than I expected, he isn't as dominant as he used to be, and he's been letting in a lot of weak goals recently. Goalkeepers thrive on confidence, and Coupet had lots of it, but since his return, he seems to hesitate during certain moments, and I think that his blunders might have affected his confidence.

While he has enough juice left for the Euros (and I expect him to play much better for the NT than he has been for Lyon in recent weeks), it seems inevitable that Coupet will lose his spot on the NT after this summer. If he stays at Lyon, he might play in some World Cup qualifiers, but his dream of making that actual tournament is unlikely.

Lyon aren't extending Vercoutre's contract, and with Frederic Roux's and Joan Hartock's contracts also expiring this summer, there definitely will be an incoming goalkeeper. Due to the departures of last summer, the team wasn't ready then, hence the reason the club bought Roux on a one year contract when Coupet got injured instead of a young talent (as opposed to Marseille, who allowed Mandanda to challenge Carrasso). But with all the money and effort Lyon have recently spent on shaping their team for next season, they will be more than ready to transition goalkeepers.

If Remy Riou had hung around instead of running off impatiently, the transition would have been smoother, but as it is, I think Lyon will jump in feet first and go after someone of Lloris's caliber. And I think if Lloris impresses sufficiently and transitions successfully, he just might push Coupet aside sooner than we think. After all, Lloris has more topflight experience than Vercoutre anyway, and while he hasn't played in the CL, sometimes it's good to jump straight into things (like Mandanda).

[N. Platini]

Where are we playing those games ?
Stade de France ? If yes, we're going to have two games away again :(

This is what I worry , hearing the English anthem louder than ours in our own country , hearing the english shout and boo our players loudly in our own stadium , it's really pathetic . The second game is in Stade Charléty .

Makes me ashamed to be Parisien :o

As for the call-ups I'm pleased with them but like everyone else I don't know who this Rami guy is :confused: Has he played for Lille alot this season ?

Calling up Saha , Malouda , Landreau (confidence problem) is a big joke , I really hate Domenech .

[Suyuntuy]

Only seven defensive mids?

Ray is losing his touch.

[Kazuma]

Why the hell does Raymond Domenech hate David Trezeguet so much?

Seriously, it's ridiculous to deny such a class player call-ups.

It's Domenech. What do you expect?