France Self-Destructing Before Our Eyes

Rediff Sports  -  France's World Cup campaign descended into chaos on Sunday with a row between captain Patrice Evra and a fitness coach, a boycott of a training session and the resignation of a senior team official.


All this came a day after striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for insulting coach Raymond Domenech at halftime of a 2-0 defeat by Mexico Thursday in Polokwane that left France on the verge of an embarrassing group stage exit.


The incidents were sparked by the players' decision to protest against the French Football Federation (FFF)'s decision to kick out Anelka and also by a nervousness among the players after the player's crude comments were leaked to the press.


Sunday's public session, ironically on a pitch called Field of Dreams, was about to start when a furious row erupted between Evra and fitness coach Robert Duverne, leading to the immediate resignation of the team director.


Domenech had to move in to separate them. Duverne, who had apparently insisted training should take place, angrily threw his stopwatch on to the pitch and left.


"They don't want to train, it's a scandal," France team director and FFF managing director Jean-Louis Valentin said as he also left the pitch.


"It's a scandal for French people, for the youngsters who came here to watch them train. I'm resigning, I'm leaving the Federation. I have nothing more to do here. I'm going back to Paris," he added.


It would be an understatement to call the recent happenings of the French World Cup team an embarrassment. I mean, how do you let something like this happen to you? Every nation has four years to prepare for the World Cup. Aside from the Olympics, it's the biggest sporting event on a worldly scale. Followers have come all the way from every nation to gather in South Africa and watch something special. And what's happening for the French followers? They get to see their best player sent home, team officials and trainers quitting on them, and players boycotting the coach as a result. This is completely preposterous, and France's hopes of advancing seem to dwindle as every moment passes. I guess I'll just thank God that we aren't pulling this kind of stuff in our nation. It really is inexcusable. Sure, Anelka probably should have kept his mouth shut, whatever it was that he said to the coach. But hasn't this gone completely one of proportion by now? Should France even bother showing up for their final group stage match? For their own sake, to prevent the humiliation that will ensue for plenty of time to come, France better get their game together and put a good showing on the field in that final match against the hosts, South Africa.


But after all... wouldn't it be a fitting ending to their treacherous World Cup week to have them fall at the feet of the host nation?