Domenech rejects Wenger criticism

Raymond Domenech has rejected the suggestion that striker Thierry Henry's below-par form is due to the number of games he has played for France.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was very unhappy France picked Henry for a friendly against Bosnia in August.

"Wenger is saying that a match in August can explain an injury in March," said Domenech.

"But it has to be known that every time Henry has played for France, he was playing for Arsenal three days later."

Henry will miss the rest of the season after damaging stomach and groin muscles in his team's Champions League exit to PSV Eindhoven earlier this month.

Prior to that game Henry had missed a number of games for Arsenal but had played in every international match for France since 16 August.

"We have a clear conscience because we have never made our players take risks," Domenech said.

"I'm seriously starting to get tired of Mr Wenger.

"Wenger does not know everything and is not the only one with the right to exist in football.

"Even Uefa president Michel Platini has noted that his remarks were stupid."

Wenger is annoyed that Henry, 29, has played so many games for France this season.

"I feel Henry has been badly managed by France," said Wenger.

"After the World Cup final I gave him a holiday. France called him up less than 14 days after he came back - and they played him in the whole game.

"It was a friendly, so why did they need to play him in the whole game? And he has played every friendly since, when he was already on his knees."


Domenech has used Henry in seven international matches this season - including three friendlies - and played him for 90 minutes in all but one of the games.

Meanwhile the French coach has called up Arsenal's Abou Diaby and Chelsea's Lassana Diarra for the first time for France's Euro 2008 qualifier against Lithuania and a friendly against Austria later this month.

From : BBC Sports