Patrick Vieira’s master plan move to Manchester City crashed and burned last night, after the French national manager Raymond Domenech left the experienced midfielder out of his world cup squad.
The 33-year-old made the on-loan switch to City from Inter Milan in January in hope of making the French national side this summer. However, the midfielder found out this Tuesday that he will not be on the plane to South Africa with his French colleagues.
Although the world cup winner accepts his omission by Domenech, he feels the French Boss could have told him personally rather than seeing it on the television. Vieira told Canal + Sport:
“As the national team coach had sporting criterions, I can accept the decision without any problems. However, I didn't receive any phone call with him for six months, even if I always had a good relationship with him, even when he was in trouble. Considering my number of caps (107 caps) and years in the French team, I would have liked more frankness, a phone call”
He finishes off by saying:
“Discovering it at the last moment, in front of the TV, that tactlessness, lack of class, is what affected me the most.”
Announcing his squad in front of a press conference last night, the French boss did tell of the difficultly of leaving out the experienced midfielder:
"Patrick Vieira, it is the most delicate choice. We talked with Pat, we tried to plan for the World Cup. It has been a wrench. It is a real moment of emotion. It was difficult considering the whole season."
Patrick Vieira’s exclusion from the squad will mean that he may not be participating in what would have been his fourth world cup. Vieira was hoping to make the squad after joining City in the winter window. Vieira was struggling to get games at Inter and as a result, linked up with old boss Mancini in search of this. The French international did manage to feature in Mancini’s plans, having made a total of 14 appearances for the Eastland’s club, and netting 1 goal along the way.
Domenech obviously felt that the on-loan Inter player did not show enough on the pitch to impress him, however Vieira may think otherwise. Former Arsenal team-mate Emmanuel Petit believes that Vieira’s exile from the national side will have an impact on team morale in general. Petit told the Mirror today of the importance of Vieira’s presence within the team:
“Vieira didn’t deserve a starting spot, but he’s essential to the life of the team”
So what next for the 33-year-old? He clearly moved to City to try and grab the attention of Domenech ahead of the world cup but was eventually snubbed by the Frenchman.
You would think that this would have been the midfielder’s last chance to play at the world cup, as by the time the next one comes round he will be 37…to old right? Ironically, Domenech is reported to be pleading with Claude Makelele to come out of retirement and he’s 37, so who knows what’s going on in the manager’s mind.
The 30-man provisional squad does not mean that Vieira can’t break into it…it’s not set in stone…yet. However, the purpose of the provisional squad is for the management to get a last look at their countries finest before selecting the 23 men who will travel to South Africa in search of the biggest prize in the game. If a player is not chosen in the ‘provisional squad’, it would almost suggest that they (the players) have been overlooked, and unfortunately for Patrick Vieira this seems to be the case.
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