Lemerre Is Ousted as Coach of France

Four years ago, Roger Lemerre helped France win the 1998 World Cup while serving as an assistant coach under Aime Jacquet.

Two years ago, as coach in his own right, Lemerre led France to victory in the 2000 European Championship. The next year, he coached it to its FIFA Confederations Cup victory.

Overall, in 54 matches under his guidance, France went 34-8-11 and outscored its opponents, 106-43.

But on Friday Lemerre was fired by the French Football Federation at a close-door meeting in Lyon, France. No reason for his dismissal was given, although France’s ouster in the first round of the 2002 World Cup was the obvious, albeit unspoken, cause.

“After paying tribute to his efforts as French coach, we then told him to step down so that he could take on other challenges,” said Claude Simonet, president of the FFF.

Simonet said Lemerre was not solely to blame for France’s World Cup flop.

“I cannot say that Roger Lemerre was at fault,” Simonet said. “I do not remember him committing a serious mistake and we did not analyze the reasons for the failure of the campaign. All I could say is that the luck that was with us in 1998 deserted us in 2002.”

Lemerre’s ouster, therefore, is aimed at changing that luck.

“In a business, you change strategy from time to time,” Simonet said, adding that a new coach would be named soon.

Lemerre, 61, had refused to resign and was not immediately available for comment. He had signed a new two-year contract shortly before the World Cup and the federation is expected to honor that at a cost of almost $1 million.

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New Pact for Friedel

Brad Friedel, the goalkeeper whose stellar performance at the World Cup was largely responsible for the United States reaching the quarterfinals, on Friday signed a new contract that will keep him at Blackburn Rovers of the English Premier League for another four seasons.

Friedel, 32, joined Rovers in November 2001 and helped the club win the English League Cup last season.

“He is very important to our squad and our plans,” Blackburn Coach Graeme Souness said. “It’s good news all round.”

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Hamm, Scurry Called Up

Forward Mia Hamm and goalkeeper Briana Scurry are among 23 players called up by the U.S. women’s national team for a July 21 game against Olympic gold medalist Norway in Blaine, Minn.

Hamm, who recently returned from injury to the Washington Freedom of Women’s United Soccer Assn., has not played for the U.S. since scoring twice in a 4-1 victory over Germany in September. Scurry’s last appearance for the national team was against Canada in August 2000.