June 30 – The French Government have denied accusations by FIFA that they were involved in the resignation of Jean-Pierre Escalettes as the President of the French Football Federation (FFF) following the national team’s disastrous performance at the World Cup in South Africa.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has warned the Government that they are risking being banned from international competition if they meddle in the running of the FFF.
But Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot claimed she had not forced Escalettes to resign.
A spokesman for the Government said: ”She indeed indicated that she personally believed his resignation was unavoidable but she did not ask for his resignation.
“There was never any question of the French Government interfering in the affairs of the French Football Federation.”
Earlier today, outgoing coach Raymond Domenech along with Escalettes appeared before a Parliamentary Commission to explain what went wrong in South Africa.
The spokesman said: ”It is normal for members of Parliament to try to find out exactly what happened because it is a topic that preoccupies French people.”
During the hearing Escalettes claimed that he felt powerless to act when the players refused to train following the decision to send Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka home after he allegedly insulted Domenech.
Commission member Lionel Tardy said: “He [Escalettes] told us that in the coach they [Escalettes and Domenech] had used every conceivable argument in vain.
“Escalettes told us they faced a wall [of opposition], something he had never experienced in over 50 years of experience in football, and they could not make it fall.
“For him, something was broken that day.”
Domenech told the Commission that French sports daily L’Equipe had contributed to the team’s collapse by printing Anelka’s alleged crude insults on its front page.
The insults had been muttered by Anelka at half-time of the 2-0 defeat by Mexico in their second group game.
Two days later, the L’Equipe story came out and later that day, the striker was sent home after failing to apologise.
Tardy said: ”Domenech told us that the front-page story was what started everything.
“He said that without it, he would have been able to handle the situation.”
Commission member and former Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour was upset that the hearing, which was scheduled to be public, took place behind closed doors at the request of the FFF.
He said: ”I find it scandalous that those two people refused to speak in the presence of media.
“I can’t understand what they need to hide from the French people.”
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