(WFI) France international forward Nicolas Anelka has been handed an 18-match ban by the French Football Federation (FFF) following his confrontation with national coach Raymond Domenech during France’s World Cup campaign in June.
Anelka was sent home in disgrace by Domenech following the row, but after details of the confrontation were made public the France squad refused to train.
The FFF has also banned captain Patrice Evra for five matches, Franck Ribery for three and Jeremy Toulalan for one for their parts in the revolt.
The charges relate to an extraordinary 72 hours during the second weekend of the World Cup.
On the Thursday, during France’s second Group A game versus Mexico, Anelka was involved in a half time dressing room confrontation with Domenech, who substituted him.
France fell to a 2-0 defeat and the Chelsea forward was sent home in disgrace. But on the Saturday details of Anelka’s foul-mouthed tirade were leaked to L’Equipe, which carried his alleged comment – “F*** you, you dirty son of a bitch" – as its front page headline.
A day after its publication, the France squad refused to train because a member of Domenech’s staff supposedly leaked the story. Fitness coach Robert Duverne and national team director, Jean-Louis Valentin, then quit in disgust.
Although the French players backed down, their World Cup disgrace was completed the following Tuesday when they were comprehensively beaten by South Africa to finish bottom of their group.
On their return to France the squad was subject to parliamentary probe and banned en masse for a single match – last week’s 2-1 defeat to Norway.
New France coach Laurent Blanc last week said that he wanted to move on.
"I did not become a national coach to punish the France team," Blanc said.
"What I'm interested in is to put together the best team with the best players. To get the best results, I must try to have the best team."
But France legend Zinedine Zidane said that the revolt will not be forgotten.
“I think there’s two things we’ll remember from this World Cup,” Zidane told reporters in Johannesburg in June.
”The winner and the fact that the French failed to attend the training session before the encounter with South Africa.”
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