16 Jun 2026 09:56:57
Seems crazy that Tunisia have sacked their head coach Lamouchi following the side's 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening World Cup game.
16 Jun 2026 12:40:05
Apparently he'd only been in charge for 5 games and lost 4 of them.
Probably something else going on there, though. A lot of complaints about his son being around the team too much despite not having any formal role in the set up?
16 Jun 2026 15:12:18
Mcgoveb, you wanna know a story? Sabri Lamouchi, before the 1998 WC in France, was called up to play for Tunisia in that same WC. He rejected them to play for France in that WC. The squad is announced and Lamouchi doesn't make the cut.
Never plays for France again.
Near 30 years later, Lamouchi is Tunisia manager and now gets sacked during a WC. Swings and round-abouts, man.
16 Jun 2026 15:30:33
I think someone like Harry Redknapp's told you that, Oli.
Back then, if you had one cap (friendly or competitive), you were cap tied to the country you got it from. Lamouchi had caps for France going back to 1996, so there was no way he could've played for Tunisia in 1998, and he would've known as much.
Tim Cahill was cap tied to Samoa for a while cos he'd played for their U19s, before they changed the rules so he could play for Australia sometime after 2000.
16 Jun 2026 16:52:30
SR, I know Lamouchi had played for France in 1996, and now I see I got my years wrong. However, my point was that Lamouchi rejected Tunisia in order to play for France. Only for him to not get picked by them for the WC, whereas he could have played for Tunisia and made the WC in 1998. That part is a fact. So it is kinda poetic justice that he gets sacked coaching the country of his origin at a WC.
Also, a certain Zinedine Zidane declined to play for Algeria (in 1993) when they called him up to give him a better chance of playing for France, as he was uncapped like Lamouchi as well? Zizou would make his debut vs the Czech Rep.
in 1994 after France failed to qualify for USA '94, just like England.
Mate, I lived in France for several years during that time and there are tons of stories like Lamouchi's I can tell you about. How much time do you have? Lol.
And, lastly, I don't know, and have never spoken to Harry Redknapp, and long may that continue.