French Inquiry
Today in Paris, the France Football Federation (FFF) were busy conducting an inquiry into the French players strike at the recent FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Afterwards, it emerged that the FFF (winners in 1998 and Runners-Up in 2006) had suspended Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka for 18 games, and Captain Patrice Evra (Manchester United) had received a 5 match ban for their part in the unseemly events in South Africa. Vice-Captain Franck Ribery, of Bayern Munich FC, has been suspended for three matches while Jeremy Toulalan received a one match ban for his role in the mutiny against the Manager Raymond Domenech and his coaching staff.
New Manager Laurent Blanc decided not to select any of the 23–man World Cup squad for his first friendly last week when they lost 2-1 to Norway, but he will hope to move on now that the inquiry has published its findings.
I cannot remember a similar incident before in sport where a team has stood squarely together against the Coach and refused to train at such a prestigious tournament. I know the French are regarded as a passionate nation, but it seems that their emotions got the better of them on this occasion. However, from a psychological perspective, it shows there was a solidarity amongst the players. The problem was obviously their resistance to the management’s style or methods, but it seems a travesty for the French nation that their team forgot their wider responsibilities whilst ccouped up in the confines of a pre-match World Cup training camp.
My sense is that every player will all feel some degree of shame and will never be allowed to forget that their 2010 World Cup will be remembered for their militant action rather than for the footballing excellence they were supposed to reveal.
The irony of France’s under-performance in South Africa, was that they only managed to qualify for the Finals by winning a play-off against Ireland, and in doing so, Thierry Henry sullied his own reputation by blatantly handballing the winning goal, which caused untold controversy at the time.
I wonder if he now thinks his actions in the pursuit of victory were worth the trouble?
It reminds me of the old sporting saying:
‘It matters not who won, or lost, but how you played the game.’
