|
#INSERT type:image caption:The France squad train at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before the controversy erupted. END# France coach Didier Deschamps has revealed that he was aware the national squad would demonstrate against Nicolas Anelka's exclusion from the 2010 World Cup for reportedly insulting then-coach Raymond Domenech. The France players refused to get off the team coach for training in the South African town of Knysna in protest after Anelka was sent home after clashing with Domenech at half-time of the group stage defeat to Mexico. The incident sparked public anger in France, damaging the national team's reputation -- and Deschamps, who took over as national coach in 2012, said he had known the players would express their displeasure. "Without giving away a secret, I knew the day before that something would happen," he said in quotes reported by Le Figaro. "You always manage to find out that something is brewing. They wanted to take a stand after what had happened. They were going to show their disagreement one way or another." The French Football Federation hit Anelka with an 18-game ban from international football, and the striker immediately announced his retirement from the France team. Captain Patrice Evra was given a five-game ban, Franck Ribery was suspended for three matches and Jeremy Toulalan was banned for a single fixture. But asked why he had not stepped in if he had known that something was going to happen, Deschamps said: "What right did I have to do that?"
|
