<i>Les Bleus</i> retain coach

The former world and European champions bowed out of the tournament with their heads down, bottom of their group with one point and one goal from three dismal showings.

Opinion polls showed a majority of French people wanted Raymond Domenech to leave and several leading figures, including former great Zinedine Zidane, suggested former France captain Didier Deschamps might do a better job.

After hearing the coach's explanations, however, 18 of the 19 French football federation (FFF) council's voters ruled Domenech should stay on under certain conditions.

Nicknamed 'the leg-breaker' in his days as a fierce defender, when he sported a thick moustache, Domenech has never cared about being popular.

"When I was playing for Lyon in the derby at St Etienne, I loved warming up alone near the fans who booed me," he once said.

"I stuck close to the advertising hoardings around the stadium and they booed more and more. I needed that."

After France slipped out of Euro 2008 with a 2-0 defeat by Italy, many fans were expecting some form of apology from the coach or maybe an offer to stand down but instead Domenech said his only plan was to marry his partner, television journalist Estelle Denis.

"There are beautiful things in life," he said.

"In difficult moments, you want to tell people you love them, you want to say the things that matter."

Domenech, who has a passion for theatre and astrology, has cemented a reputation of being an unpredictable coach.

Since being appointed in the wake of France's Euro 2004 quarter-final exit, the stubborn 56-year-old has regularly raised eyebrows with his surprising choices and controversial comments.

Though he was given credit for France's somewhat unexpected run to the 2006 World Cup final in Germany, the unwanted headlines returned after their defeat by Italy on penalties two years ago.

In an interview last year, Domenech accused Italy of bribing the referee of an Under-21 international against France during the qualification campaign for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Domenech was punished with a one-match touchline ban by UEFA after being charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

French soccer officials were embarrassed but kept faith with an uncompromising man whose gambles have often paid off.

Domenech persuaded Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele to come out of international retirement when France were in danger of not qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.

Once in Germany, the team made a sluggish start but recovered to go all the way to the final.

Now, after what FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes called a "resounding failure" on the pitches of Euro 2008, Domenech needs to get results, improve the team's image and, if he can, his own.

"For him to polish his rough edges is a challenge," Escalettes sighed after Thursday's meeting.