• Euro 2012

Domenech: England have no quality

ESPN staff
May 30, 2012
Raymond Domenech was in charge of France during their disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign © Getty Images
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France must aim for a place in the Euro 2012 semi-finals as a minimum requirement and should not fear England when the two nations meet at the tournament, according to former Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech.

Having gone on an 18-match unbeaten run heading into the finals, which included impressive victories over Brazil and Germany, Laurent Blanc's side are among the favourites for the European Championship crown.

Blanc has been lauded for creating a harmonious France camp, a far cry from the dissonant collective who rebelled at the 2010 World Cup. Domenech was the man who oversaw that disastrous campaign and the ex-Lyon coach believes his successor should be able to improve on the embarrassing group stage exits in South Africa and at Euro 2008.

"The semi-finals [is the] minimum [target] " Domenech told French newspaper Ouest France. "I put France among the favourites, I believe in them."

France last went beyond the group stage of the European Championship in 2004, when England were put to the sword in a tight opening game thanks to a late Zinedine Zidane brace. This time, however, Domenech is not expecting Les Bleus to find much resistance from the Three Lions - claiming the meeting on June 11 in Donetsk will be "easy" and that Roy Hodgson's side "have no quality".

Domenech, 60, added that he is hoping to return to international management later this year, saying: "I will be on the market in September. Not for revenge, but out of envy. I was a club coach for 10 years, but a national team coach for 17 years [with France Under-21s and then the senior side], and this is what I prefer. I would take the reins of a national team. "

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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