France go into meltdown

Source : Fifa.com

France's FIFA World Cup™ campaign continues to be troublesome after the French Football Federation (FFF) announced there would be an official investigation following a player boycott yesterday.

Less than 24 hours after Nicolas Anelka was sent home for refusing to apologise for his verbal attack on coach Raymond Domenech the rest of the squad walked out of training in protest. The squad claimed they were united in support of the excluded Chelsea forward, complaining the 31-year-old had been treated unfairly by officials.

However, their actions did not impress the FFF, who have promised a investigation into what has become known as 'l'affaire Anelka' once the team's FIFA World Cup is over.

"The French delegation and its president Jean-Pierre Escalettes noted with dismay the refusal of the French players to participate in training," said a federation statement. This action is an unacceptable consequence of the eviction of Nicolas Anelka which they feel is unjust.

"Contrary to what the players said, this sanction was taken following a long conversation with the person in the presence of the captain (Patrice Evra). The FFF, speaking through its president, apologised to the country for the unacceptable conduct of the players that are representing our country. A federal council shall be convened immediately on the completion of the French team's campaign to draw all the conclusions of the crisis that has been created."

A federal council shall be convened immediately on the completion of the French team's campaign.
A statement from the France Football Federation.

The walk-out was prompted by events on Saturday when Anelka was dismissed from the squad after he refused to say sorry for his outburst at Domenech. Anelka reportedly exploded in a foul-mouthed tirade after the coach criticised him for straying out of position during the goalless first half of their 2-0 Group A defeat to Mexico on Thursday.

Details of the exchange were then leaked to the media, leading Evra to claim there was a "traitor" within the camp. The players, already under pressure as a draw between Uruguay and Mexico on Tuesday will confirm France's elimination from the tournament irrespective of their result against hosts South Africa, issued their own statement yesterday.

"If we regret the incident that occurred at half-time of the match between France and Mexico we regret even more that an event which belongs within our group was made public," they said.

"For its part, the French Football Federation has at no time tried to protect the group. They made a decision without consulting all the players, only on the basis of the 'facts' reported by the press. Accordingly, and to mark their opposition to the highest level of French football, all players decided not to participate in the work-out. For our part, we have not forgotten our duties. We will do everything individually and also in a collective spirit to bring honour to France with a positive performance on Tuesday night."

However, the matter is far from closed as Domenech is likely to be bombarded with questions about the occurrences of the last few days at a scheduled press conference in Bloemfontein later today ahead of the match against South Africa.nded

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Hitzfeld keeps players grounded

Source : Fifa.com

Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is confident his players will not allow themselves to be carried away by their shock victory over European champions Spain.

The Swiss got their Group H campaign off to the best possible start when, against all the odds, they defeated Vicente del Bosque's men 1-0 in Durban on Wednesday. However, 61-year-old Hitzfeld is certain his players will not let that astonishing result go to their heads as they attempt to make the most of it by fighting their way into the last 16.

He said: "We have got a team which has a very strong character, and the players are very experienced. There are some young ones as well, but I think all the players realised just how sensational the win was, and they also know we cannot take it for granted that we will just simply blow away Chile.

"We know that is not possible, we know it is going to be a very hard game. I have read interviews given by the players and they are fully aware of that. Every single player knows that tomorrow will require another top performance on our part and that we cannot take anything for granted.

"Some teams win their first game and lose the second one, and vice-versa. At a World Cup, many, many teams will go the extra mile and excel in what they do. That's the beauty of football, isn't it? There are always surprises."

That said, Switzerland head into tomorrow's clash with Chile at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth knowing a repeat of that result would book their passage to the knockout phase of the competition. Hitzfeld freely admits he and his players arrived in South Africa prepared to fight for second place, but their heroics in Durban mean they have the chance to go one better.

Asked if he would settle for a draw against the South Americans, he said: "I'm a coach and before every match, I want to win, it doesn't matter who our opponent is. Of course, against Spain, you can dream, and then the dream became a reality.

"Against Chile, we have got different aspirations because they are a direct competitor to us in securing second position. But now we have the opportunity to take first position, and we have to seize that chance with both hands."
I'm a coach and before every match, I want to win, it doesn't matter who our opponent is.
Ottmar Hitzfeld, Switzerland coach

Chile launched their campaign with a 1-0 win over Honduras in Nelspruit, but Hitzfeld has seen earlier evidence of the threat they pose to Switzerland's dreams. He said: "I haven't just looked at the match against Honduras, I have also looked at how Chile performed in the South American qualifying group. They finished second to Brazil and with only one point fewer than Brazil."

The Swiss trained at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University this afternoon, where skipper Alex Frei was able to take part in the session after recovering from an ankle injury. However, defender Philippe Senderos is expected to miss the next two games with a similar problem, and his place is likely to be taken by Steve von Bergen.

Switzerland's FIFA World Cup™ adventure is the latest achievement for a vastly experienced coach who is one of the few to guide two different clubs to UEFA Champions League glory, and he is relishing the chance to continue to work on the biggest stage of all.

He said: "You gain wrinkles and you grow older because there is pressure, of course, on coaches. Many matches also means a lot of strain, a lot of pressure and a lot of nerves, but as I have grown older, I have become more relaxed, I have become calmer. But I still have ambitions to win matches and to be successful. You can't just put your feet up and rest on your laurels."


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