Entire France World Cup Squad Suspended For Norway Friendly

The French Football Federation has suspended all 23 members of France’s World Cup squad for their next game. New France Coach Laurent Blanc requested that no member of the squad be selected for a friendly against Norway in Oslo on August 11.
France failed to win any of their three group games in South Africa. The campaign included players boycotting training in support of Nicolas Anelka, who was sent home for insulting coach Raymond Domenech.
Blanc said: “I obviously cannot act as if nothing had happened in South Africa. I followed the events with sadness, I was disappointed with the sporting results and I was shocked by certain behaviours.
“I will integrate these elements into my analysis and my thoughts. I always had the principles, rules of conduct and not just in my sporting life. They have not changed and I will not change.” The crisis that engulfed Domenech’s last tournament as national coach resulted in the resignation of FFF President Jean-Pierre Escalettes, with his successor due to be named later.
The one-day training strike, on June 20, came after Chelsea forward Anelka was sent home from the tournament following a heated exchange with Domenech at half-time during the defeat to Mexico on June 17. France captain Patrice Evra accused a “traitor” within the party of leaking details of Anelka’s rant to the media and of destabilising the squad, and the skipper 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 players headed for their bus and refused to train, leaving Domenech to read a statement to the press on their behalf.
Former France defenders Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly called for Evra to be banned from national team duty over his part in the insurrection, and Escalettes took a similar stance. But Blanc said upon his unveiling as Domenech’s successor: “It is not for me to decide on sanctions. I am not the bogeyman. If I consider they are the best players in their position, I will take them.”