Describing the day, and his attempts to talk his players around, Domenech said: 'It was more than an hour that we had been there.

'It was really necessary that someone take responsibility and stop that charade. All the cameras were focused on the bus, hundreds of kids were waiting on the sidelines.

'We were the laughing stock of the world.'

Following the tournament, Evra, Franck Ribery, Jeremy Toulalan and Eric Abidal took the bulk of the blame - and suspensions - for their role in the incident, but Domenech said all the players acted together.

If there were any [leaders], I did not see them. Every time I went up [into the bus], there was no one,' he said. 'At this point, I told myself that they went crazy and they don't realise. Now I know I was wrong: they knew very well what they were doing.

'They even closed the curtains of the bus to hide themselves from cameras. With hindsight, I see them mainly as a bunch of foolhardy brats.'

Domenech, whose time in charge was filled with moments of eccentricity, revealed he has received all manner of offers outside football since the summer, but he has so far turned them all down.

'Above all, I do not want controversy. I have had offers for the theatre, for the cinema ... Nothing on TV, no. Honestly, how can we imagine me in a reality television show?' he said.

'I still need to brush aside certain memories before being able to start a new adventure. It's like love: you have to have forgotten a woman to be able to love another.'

« Previous123Next »