Raymond Domenech recalls trying to call-up Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain for France and then Brittany.
Higuain plays for Argentina, but he was born in Brest and so would have been eligible to play for Les Bleus.
During his time as Coach of the national team, Domenech named the forward in his squad to face Greece, but Pipita chose to play for Argentina.
“I really wanted him to make a decision one way or the other,” Domenech recalled in an interview with SoFoot.
Raymond Domenech recalls trying to call-up Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain for France and then Brittany.
Higuain plays for Argentina, but he was born in Brest and so would have been eligible to play for Les Bleus.
During his time as Coach of the national team, Domenech named the forward in his squad to face Greece, but Pipita chose to play for Argentina.
“I really wanted him to make a decision one way or the other,” Domenech recalled in an interview with SoFoot.
“So the way I saw it was ‘he’ll either have to come or say no’. I wasn’t forcing him, forcing isn’t a fair word. We discussed it, he hesitated, he didn’t know.
“I said ‘well, now we have that game so you’ll have to choose. Don’t let others pull and push you, it’s up to you and your conscience’.
“Argentina wanted him too, he had to make a decision!
Higuian doesn’t speak French though, surely he wouldn’t fit in?
“Not at all, football is quite global these days. I speak Spanish too, so there would have been no problem with that.
“There were two or three players who could speak Spanish too. We find affinities very quickly, and in that line of work they very quickly learn the basics of a language, no matter what country they’re in.
“That wasn’t a problem. What he told me was ‘there’s no-one I know, all my friends are in Argentina, so my priority is Argentina’. And I understood!”
Domenech now manages the Breton national side, a non-FIFA outfit, and tried to call Higuain to partner Anthony Le Tallec…
“I could have called him for the Brittany team, yes!” Domenech laughed.
“I think they could have been a partnership! Antho is a real pivot, he has the quality to play with others and Higuain knows how to exploit a player like that.
“They’d have been an ideal front-two for Brittany!”