by Kyle Fansler
The 2010 World Cup was destructive for France, and a new Netflix documentary dives into the issues that surrounded the team. After finishing last in its Euro 2008 group with just one point, the pressure mounted on a France team that included Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, Franck Ribery, Patrice Evra and other top talents. However, the side suffered its worst performance at the World Cup. Yet, the far more memorable occurrence was what happened with dissent within the squad and the ensuing suspensions.
A new Netflix documentary goes into detail about how French head coach Raymond Domenech lost control of the squad. The controversy eventually brought in the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy. By the end of the tournament, Anelka picked up a suspension from the France Football Federation for 18 games. Evra would miss the next five France games while Ribery would be out of the squad for the ensuing three.
In the second group-stage game, France was losing to Mexico. Anelka delivered a fiery rant toward Domenech, and the midfielder refused to apologize after the game. That forced the French coaching staff to send Anelka home. Evra clashed with another member of the France coaching staff, and the players had to intervene to ensure the bust-up did not amount to anything more serious. The sports minister of France, Roselyn Bachelot, spoke directly to the France squad. She asked them if this is how they wanted to establish their legacy as France players at a World Cup. The speech was so powerful and meaningful that many of the French players teared up about their legacy.
France went on to lose the last match of its World Cup campaign against South Africa. With one point and a single goal scored, France finished at the bottom of its group. The ramifications of everything that happened in the tournament were extreme. The suspensions hurt individual players, but the entire squad picked up a one-game suspension from the FFF.
The documentary will have first-hand accounts of what happened in South Africa during that tournament. Calling upon Evra and Domenech will call upon both sides of the altercations within the France camp. Dolores Emile, the director of documentaries and streaming programs at Netflix France, discussed what fans can expect from the program.
“We will tell how they, in particular, experienced it almost hour by hour, from the inside. With what we thought we knew but which we never really knew… It’s a succession of actions, ultimately very personal, leading to a collective movement which went beyond sport,” Emile said.
Soccer documentaries have become an increasingly in-depth way to enjoy soccer. Many of those pertain to new-era issues or players. Netflix’s previous documentaries focus on Jose Mourinho and Manchester City, as examples. Apple released documentaries about Lionel Messi, with one about the 2022 World Cup and the other about his time with Inter Miami. Paramount+ has also dropped a series about the UEFA Champions League.
There is no release date for the Netflix documentary about the 2010 World Cup for France.
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