France World Cup squad suspended
New France coach Laurent Blanc has taken the decision to suspend the entire 23-man squad which took part in this summer's failed World Cup campaign for next month's friendly against Norway.
Les Bleus' campaign ended in failure and controversy, as they managed only one point and one goal from three games in Group A and were left in disarray when the squad refused to train two days before their final game against hosts South Africa.
A number of senior figures had called for sanctions against the perceived ringleaders of the protest - but Blanc proposed to exclude the whole party at a meeting on Friday with the French Football Federation's federal council, who ratified the decision.
A statement on www.fff.fr read: "Laurent Blanc met this Friday, July 23, with the federal council, to whom he presented his staff and his sporting project.
"He also proposed to the federal council, who accepted, not to retain for the friendly against Norway, on Wednesday August 11 in Oslo, any of the 23 players officially selected by the French Football Federation for the World Cup in South Africa.
"Laurent Blanc will release the list of players retained for this match against Norway on Thursday August 5 at 11.30."
The strike, on June 20, came after Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka was sent home from the tournament following a heated exchange with then coach Raymond Domenech at half-time during the defeat to Mexico on June 17.
Captain Patrice Evra accused a "traitor" within the party of leaking details of Anelka's foul-mouthed rant to the media and of destabilising the squad, and was then seen arguing with fitness coach Robert Duverne at the start of the scheduled training session.
Duverne stormed off the training ground and the squad headed for their bus and refused to train, leaving Domenech to read a statement to the press on their behalf.
Former France defender Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly called for Evra to be banned from national team duty over his part in the insurrection, and departing federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes took a similar stance on Anelka.
