Jacquet calls for end to sanctions against French rebels

France’s former World Cup-winning coach Aime Jacquet on Monday called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on four French players following a revolt during this summer’s World Cup.

Jacquet, who led France to the 1998 World Cup at home, was one of six signatories of a letter sent by the players’ union UNFP to the French Football Federation (FFF) which called for an immediate end to the sanctions.

The players were punished for their roles in the infamous revolt in South Africa, when the entire squad refused to train in protest at the FFF’s decision to send Nicolas Anelka home for swearing at former coach Raymond Domenech.

The signatories also included another former France coach Michel Hidalgo along with ex-France players Jean Djorkaeff and Sylvain Kastendeuch, former Auxerre coach Guy Roux and UNFP co-president Philippe Piat.

“Other events force us to ask that the so-called sanctions be lifted or transformed into work of a collective nature between now and Thursday, the date when (France coach) Laurent Blanc names the list of players to play the first two qualifiers for Euro 2012,” the letter read.

It also denounced the sanctions as “unjust and disproportionate” and estimated that punishing four of the 23 players “pours oil on the fire without reason while at this time it is advisable to definitively stop the fire and rebuild”.

It continued: “Before it is too late, the FFF must react and find solutions. This is why we ask the FFF in the aftermath of a crisis which it would be better to forget to take the necessary measures.”

Anelka was handed an 18-match ban by the disciplinary commission of the FFF last week – effectively ending his international career.

The commission also handed out a five-match ban to World Cup captain Patrice Evra, three matches to vice-captain Franck Ribery and one match to Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan.

Eric Abidal, the fifth player called before the commission convinced the commission that he was an innocent party and was absolved.