It seems that this decision, though quickly regretted, appeared because of the fact that Raymond Domenech decided that Fabien Barthez should be the first goalkeeper for the French team in the World Cup.

Domenech said Coupet left the camp in the French Alps resort of Tignes with his family and luggage on Wednesday before changing his mind and returning to the team hotel.

“He decided to come back,” Domenech said. “It all lasted 30 minutes. Nobody is making a big fuss about it, we had an explanation.

“You have to understand that the France team is more important than the interests of any individual. The problem has been sorted.”

Well, you should be able to understand what Coupet feels: he is the goalkeeper of France’s champions, Olimpique Lyon, a team that makes history by winning the 5th title in France. More, he played some great games in the Champions League and he rightly feels he deserve to protect the French goal in the World Cup.

A source close to the team said Coupet had argued with Domenech. The Olympique Lyon goalkeeper was apparently upset because Barthez failed to complete a hike up an Alpine glacier, saying he had a sore calf.

On Wednesday morning, they roped up for a hike on icy terrain before being joined by their families for lunch. The idea was to help team bonding before the finals in Germany start on 9 June.

Domenech said when he named his 23-man squad earlier this month that Olympique Marseille’s Barthez would be France’s number one goalkeeper at the FIFA World Cup ahead of Coupet.

A prominent member of the Olympique Lyon side that won a record fifth successive Ligue 1 title and reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals last season, Coupet reacted by saying that he felt he should be the number one.

Domenech still has to announce who will be in goal when France play Mexico in a warm-up game at the Stade de France on Saturd

SourceL WCofficialsite