French Football Federation (FFF) president Claude Simonet today put forward Le Havre manager and former European champion Jean-Francois Domergue as his shock favourite to succeed Roger Lemerre as France manager. Lemerre still hasn’t left his post but is widely expected to be edged out of the door by the time the FFF meet on Friday, in Lyon. That will pave the way for a new man to be in place for France’s friendly with Tunisia on August 21. . but Troussier says he is also in the fray PARIS: Former Japan coach Philippe Troussier said in an interview published yesterday that he’d be a candidate for head coach of his native France if Roger Lemerre steps down or is ousted. “I’m one of the candidates in the event that there could be changes at the helm of the French team,” Troussier, 47, said in an interview on French sports web site L’Equipe.Fr. “But I’m not the only one. If it doesn’t happen, just the fact of being considered is already a great honour for me — recognition,” he said. The FFF has said that a decision about whether to replace Lemerre, who led France to a humiliating defeat in the World Cup, would be made at a meeting in Lyon on Friday. Troussier, who surprised fans worldwide when he led Japan to a second round last month at the World Cup, resigned after his team was eliminated by Turkey. If taking over in France doesn’t work out, “Maybe I’ll do the World Cup again with Japan,” Troussier said. (Agencies) And while many, including French legend Michel Platini, favour Lyon’s Jacques Santini, Simonet told Tuesday’s edition of weekly sports magazine France Football he would like to see Domergue in charge. “Personally, although he is tied up, I have a fancy for Jean-Francois Domergue, who to me fulfils all the conditions needed for the right man,” Simonet revealed. Domergue, a member of the France team that won the European Championships in 1984, guided Le Harve to promotion from the second division last year, albeit with the aide of league reconstruction. Although Simonet would be willing to enter into discussions with Le Harve to see if they could work out a way for Domergue to work for France without leaving his club, the appointment wouldn’t be everyone’s choice. “My vote is one vote like all the others, even though the president (Simonet) has the final say,” added Simonet.
