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Domenech signs for four more years

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PARIS, France -- France coach Raymond Domenech has extended his contract and will remain in charge of the national team at least until after the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Friday.

France reached the final of the World Cup in Germany under Domenech's guidance, losing the match to Italy on penalties.

Domenech, 54, was appointed after France's quarter-final elimination from Euro 2004.

Advertising ban

The French Professional Football League (LFP) has banned its clubs from advertising any form of gambling and online betting, the ruling body said in a statement on Friday.

The move comes after the two joint chief executives of Austrian online betting firm bwin.com were placed under investigation earlier this month for alleged violation of French gaming laws.

Gambling is a state monopoly in France and online betting firms are banned from seeking clients on French territory.

Bwin are the shirt sponsors of Monaco and have sponsorship deals with several other Ligue 1 clubs and other leading European sides.

Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger, joint CEOs of bwin, were detained for questioning just before the start of a news conference to outline a sponsorship between bwin and Monaco.

The principality team said they had asked French soccer authorities for information before deciding to chose bwin as sponsors.

LFP president Frederic Thiriez said he had informed the French clubs several times since 2005 of the risk they were taking by choosing online betting firms as sponsors.

"Given the threat of legal action weighing on the clubs that do not respect the ban on advertising for gambling, it is our responsibility to protect the clubs and make sure the competitions are not disturbed by banning such publicity for the time being," Thiriez said in Friday's statement.


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Domenech took over after France's elimination in the Euro 2004 quarterfinals.

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