Raymond Domenech has been retained as France coach despite French football supremo Jean-Pierre Escalettes admitting Les Bleus' Euro 2008 campaign had been "a resounding failure".
Domenech was summoned to appear before the French Football Federation's (FFF) Federal Council in the capital to explain the team's group stage exit from Austria and Switzerland.
He clearly did a good job in convincing the panel as all but one of the 19 men voting backed the 56-year-old to lead the team in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers which start in September.
On Euro 2008, FFF president Escalettes said: "It was a resounding failure, not very glorious. It was bad on the sporting side and, maybe worse, it portrayed a terrible image of the national team."
He revealed Domenech had admitted to making "a series of errors" while Escalettes spoke of "too much personal communication at disastrous moments" and "a lack of transparency".
However, he rationalised his decision to keep the coach onboard by insisting: "Domenech's record is not that bad as coach. It is not catastrophic. He qualified us for successive major competitions [the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008].
"I did not want emotion and passion to get the better of reason. Raymond has asked for the support of the Federation and that the president is more involved.
"There is only one mission; on the pitch and nothing but the pitch," he added. "He is going to talk about the French team and not the condition of his soul."
It was widely touted that Domenech's four-year tenure would be brought to an end immediately after the Euros due to the French side's poor showing at the tournament.
A supremely talented squad crashed out following defeats at the hands of Holland and Italy and a goalless draw with Romania, scoring just once in the process.
The controversial coach was already under immense pressure due to his persistence on making squad selections based on astrology, but it could be the support he received from members of his squad and influential figures, such as gallic legend Michel Platini, that saved him.