French minister slapped down for criticising team hotel

All of France must cheer on its World Cup football team, the government spokesman said Monday, in remarks aimed at the sports minister for criticising the team’s choice of a posh hotel.

Junior sports minister Rama Yade caused a stir at the weekend when she said the Bleus team should have shown some “decency” during hard economic times by not choosing a five-star resort to stay in while in South Africa.

Government spokesman Luc Chatel said it was unfortunate that such a controversy had erupted just a few days before the start of the World Cup.

“What is important, is that all of the French, including members of the government, be behind their team,” said Chatel on France Inter radio.

Yade said in a radio interview that the Spanish team had chosen to stay on a university campus and suggested that such an expense will be hard to justify if the French squad loses.

“If France goes a long way, the choice of a site offering the best training conditions will appear judicious. But if results do not come up to expectations then those in charge will have some explaining to do,” Yade commented.

“I hope that the French team wow us by their results rather than the swankiness of their hotels. I have called on them to show some decency in times of crisis,” Yade concluded.

The French, champions in 1998 but who struggled to qualify for this summer’s event in South Africa, will stay at the five-star Pezula Resort at Knysna on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

Photographs of the resort with its large marble bathrooms, plush rooms and modern sports equipment have been splashed on the pages of French newspapers.

Health and Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot waded in on Sunday and said French taxpayers were not paying one cent of the hotel bill.

“Our team is what it is and we will support it will all of our might,” said Bachelot. “They need to be left in peace, and have a strong public opinion behind them.”

Communist leader Marie-George Buffet criticised Yade, saying she shouldn’t be surprised that the team is staying in a five-star resort given that the sports world was awash in money.

“Frankly, I think this is a tempest in a tea pot,” said the communist.