Lift the suspension, Wiltord warns Rennes bosses

Rennes player Sylvain Wiltord, suspended by the club for comments made against coach Guy Lacombe, is demanding to be reinstated, according to the player's lawyer on Friday.

The former French international also refuses to apologise to the club's management, the lawyer added.

Rennes banned the ex-Arsenal star for comments he made in an interview with French sports daily l'Equipe on Thursday, which club bosses deemed “wrong and unacceptable.”

“We want two things: the lifting of the suspension and for the club to state clearly what they want,” said Wiltord's lawyer on Friday. To say sorry would be to publicly admit he was at fault. But he was not at fault,” he added.

In the interview, Wiltord said there was a feud between coach and player, which had been sparked last week when Lacombe told Wiltord he could no longer be sure of a place in the first-team.

“Lacombe talks too much,” Wiltord told l'Equipe, “this is no longer a footballing issue – it has become personal.”

Wiltord, 34, who has won 92 international caps, made just 25 appearances and scored six goals last season for Rennes, after returning to his former club from French champions Lyon.