(REUTERS)-France’s World Cup campaign descended into chaos 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 half-time of a 2-0 defeat by Mexico on 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 decision to kick out Anelka and also by a nervousness among the players after the player’s crude comments were leaked to the press.
The 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.