One of the top players in the world, Henry appeared to be struggling with a hamstring injury. He was subsitituted out in the 107th minute.

However, Desailly felt Henry should have been kept on to possibly take a penalty kick, which ultimately decided international soccer's coveted championship.

Italy won the penalty shootout, 5-3, with David Trezeguet rattling the crossbar with his spot kick in the second round.

"The game, as we knew it would be, was about whose nerve would collapse, and France didn't find the power to go forward and make a difference," Desailly said. "You saw the coach taking off Thierry Henry, and you have to think about penalties sometimes."

Domenech's decision to bench Henry was magnified three minutes later when Zinedine Zidane received a red card for a deliberate headbutt to the chest of Italy's Marco Materazzi.

"The thing worrying is that Marco Materazzi didn't show he was upset," said Desailly, a teammate of Zidane on France's victorious 1998 squad.