New France coach Laurent Blanc wasted no time laying down the law to France’s underachieving World Cup stars. He has dropped them ALL for France’s friendly against Norway in Oslo on August 11.
A French FA statement read:
“Laurent Blanc met this Friday 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.”
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.”
Good PR move by Blanc as the French public are furious with the antics of the French national team at the World Cup. I call it a PR move becuase Blanc knows that he has to win in order to keep his job and in order to do that he needs Anelka, Malouda and Ribery to be playing and playing well.
The ban is only for a meaningless friendly game. When the Euro 2012 qualifiers start in September, I expect all the French stars to be back in the squad.
