FTF President Voices Displeasure with Lemerre

Last week, the president of the Tunisian Football Federation held a press conference where he was going to explain why AS Marsa wasn’t going to participate in the Arab Champions League. Since this was right after the infamous defeat versus the Sudan it’s not surprising that Mr. Taher Sioud touched on the state of the national team. Here’s what he had to say: “We gave Lemerre a yellow card. When the new Bureau came in, Lemerre was already hired. You know well that there is a contract between the FTF and the French coach, so we can’t give him a red card. We asked him to be more applied in his methods. As far as I’m concerned, I won’t be renewing his contract. Lemerre is still here for a little while.”

Damn! This guy doesn’t mince words huh! Seems like it’s a way for the president of distancing himself from the situation and washing his hands of any responsibility… Those who read this blog often have probably picked up on the fact that I’m not the biggest Lemerre fan but I don’t know if this was the best move by the president when we’re only months away from a continental competition. Does he really think that airing Lemerre out in public will light a fire under the coach? I’m not sure, but it probably pissed him off. Sioud was interviewed regarding the comments recently. In the interview below he reaffirms what he said while adding that they will evaluate Lemerre’s contract situation after the tournament and that a good run (final or semi final) in Ghana 2008 would go a long way in helping the Frenchman get a contract extension. It’s not the first time we’ve heard about him being in danger of losing his job. Seems like a divorce is looking all the more likely… A great number of supporters will be screaming finally no more “Lemerde” but he still has some fans out there. Some people still love him for bringing us our first African Cup three years ago and credit him for instilling a level of tactical discipline and a sense of professionalism in the Tunisian players that used to be practically nonexistent.

What do people think about this situation and more generally, where do you stand on Lemerre?