Sarkozy bid to calm tensions
Source: Agencies |
June 22, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FRENCH politicians from the president down plus a string of former soccer greats led a chorus of dismay on Sunday as France's World Cup campaign threatened to implode after an extraordinary training boycott.
President Nicolas Sarkozy asked his sports minister in South Africa to prolong her stay to speak to the captain, coach and head of the French Football Federation (FFF) to calm the situation before today's final Group A game against South Africa.
The French team walked out from a public training session over the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka a day earlier for crudely insulting coach Raymond Domenech during its surprise 0-2 defeat by Mexico on Thursday.
Sunday's walkout led to a furious row between captain Patrice Evra and a fitness coach and the resignation of a senior official, team director and FFF managing director Jean-Louis Valentin.
Asked whether there would be penalties over the episode, sports minister Roselyne Bachelot said: "It's not yet the right time to take disciplinary action but that time will come very soon."
Economy Minister Christine Lagarde, formerly a member of the national synchronised swimming team, slammed the boycott which players said was out of solidarity with Anelka.
"I am appalled. I am appalled because I have worn the French national colors as you know, and when you wear the French national colors you have added responsibilities," she told LCI television. "The first (responsibility) is to be the best possible in sport, but also to be exemplary because you are watched. There are young children, young adolescents who practise the sport and look to you as an example," she added.
France's former soccer greats also slammed the team's behavior.
"It's intolerable. It's not at all professional," Emmanuel Petit, a former French international who scored in France's 1998 World Cup final win over Brazil, told France 2 television.
"It's sad, it's shameful, it's pathetic," Alain Giresse, another former French international, told the same station.
Bixente Lizarazu, also a member of the victorious French World Cup and European Championship-winning teams of 1998 and 2002, added his voice to the criticism.
"There is no authority left in the French team. There's no pilot in the airplane," former France defender Lizarazu said in a scathing assessment of Domenech on French television. "We're in a lunatic asylum at the moment. I can't wait to be done with the French team so that we can look ahead to the real World Cup, the one which interests us."
Zinedine Zidane also expressed his disappointed but believes the former champions can win their last Group A game against South Africa.
"This team has the possibility to get over this obstacle with this match. Everything can change for them," Zidane said yesterday, adding that France remains in contention for the title. "I hope they can still get out of this group. There is hope even if everything that has been said to now is the opposite."
Zidane also denied reports that he advised France before its 0-2 defeat to Mexico.
"To think that I could call the players and tell them how to play - I mean, you have to be kidding me," Zidane said before explaining his relationship with Domenech. "I never had a problem with this coach but I never had a good feeling for him. But I respected him in his position as coach. I was on the ship, I was captain of the team (in 2006)."
South Africa can at least count on a partisan vuvuzela drone to fire it up from the stands of the Free State stadium.
"France are coming into the game looking to win, hoping like us that they can still go through but we've decided not to concern ourselves with them, just to go out and play and win for our people, our fans," said the hosts' fullback Tsepo Masilela.
South Africa's team spirit is strong according to forward Teko Modise.
"For us it's about honor, we really want to do well against France," he said. The lack of unity within the French ranks could expose them, because "they need to gel, they need to start playing like a team," Modise added.
South Africa will be missing goalkeeper Itumeleg Khune because of the red card he received for tripping Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, giving away a penalty.
President Nicolas Sarkozy asked his sports minister in South Africa to prolong her stay to speak to the captain, coach and head of the French Football Federation (FFF) to calm the situation before today's final Group A game against South Africa.
The French team walked out from a public training session over the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka a day earlier for crudely insulting coach Raymond Domenech during its surprise 0-2 defeat by Mexico on Thursday.
Sunday's walkout led to a furious row between captain Patrice Evra and a fitness coach and the resignation of a senior official, team director and FFF managing director Jean-Louis Valentin.
Asked whether there would be penalties over the episode, sports minister Roselyne Bachelot said: "It's not yet the right time to take disciplinary action but that time will come very soon."
Economy Minister Christine Lagarde, formerly a member of the national synchronised swimming team, slammed the boycott which players said was out of solidarity with Anelka.
"I am appalled. I am appalled because I have worn the French national colors as you know, and when you wear the French national colors you have added responsibilities," she told LCI television. "The first (responsibility) is to be the best possible in sport, but also to be exemplary because you are watched. There are young children, young adolescents who practise the sport and look to you as an example," she added.
France's former soccer greats also slammed the team's behavior.
"It's intolerable. It's not at all professional," Emmanuel Petit, a former French international who scored in France's 1998 World Cup final win over Brazil, told France 2 television.
"It's sad, it's shameful, it's pathetic," Alain Giresse, another former French international, told the same station.
Bixente Lizarazu, also a member of the victorious French World Cup and European Championship-winning teams of 1998 and 2002, added his voice to the criticism.
"There is no authority left in the French team. There's no pilot in the airplane," former France defender Lizarazu said in a scathing assessment of Domenech on French television. "We're in a lunatic asylum at the moment. I can't wait to be done with the French team so that we can look ahead to the real World Cup, the one which interests us."
Zinedine Zidane also expressed his disappointed but believes the former champions can win their last Group A game against South Africa.
"This team has the possibility to get over this obstacle with this match. Everything can change for them," Zidane said yesterday, adding that France remains in contention for the title. "I hope they can still get out of this group. There is hope even if everything that has been said to now is the opposite."
Zidane also denied reports that he advised France before its 0-2 defeat to Mexico.
"To think that I could call the players and tell them how to play - I mean, you have to be kidding me," Zidane said before explaining his relationship with Domenech. "I never had a problem with this coach but I never had a good feeling for him. But I respected him in his position as coach. I was on the ship, I was captain of the team (in 2006)."
South Africa can at least count on a partisan vuvuzela drone to fire it up from the stands of the Free State stadium.
"France are coming into the game looking to win, hoping like us that they can still go through but we've decided not to concern ourselves with them, just to go out and play and win for our people, our fans," said the hosts' fullback Tsepo Masilela.
South Africa's team spirit is strong according to forward Teko Modise.
"For us it's about honor, we really want to do well against France," he said. The lack of unity within the French ranks could expose them, because "they need to gel, they need to start playing like a team," Modise added.
South Africa will be missing goalkeeper Itumeleg Khune because of the red card he received for tripping Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, giving away a penalty.
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