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Thuram had never officially retired from international football, he had merely told France manager Raymond Domenech he didn’t want to be selected.
“I told Domenech that I would prefer not to come back but then I told him, “You’re the coach, take your responsibilities.”
“It seems that as far as the coach is concerned, Thuram must be in the French team for the side to improve, therefore it’s my duty to turn up.”
Zinedine Zidane said in an interview shortly after he announced that he and Makelele were due to return that he expected Thuram would follow their example but Thuram is adamant that his own return was not prompted by Zidane, and his position on a return for France has always been consistent.
“The other two coming back did not come into my thinking, as if I had been called up and the others weren’t there I would still have come because I can’t imagine refusing a call-up. If I hadn’t been called up I would have kept my stance.”
It all sounds slightly confusing stuff from Thuram but it does appear that all is not well in the French camp.