No more caps for Anelka, says Escalettes

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka will never play for France again, according to outgoing French Football Federation chief Jean-Pierre Escalettes.

Anelka was sent home from the World Cup in disgrace for swearing at France coach Raymond Domenech at half-time in the 2-0 loss to Mexico in the group stages of the competition.

His expulsion provoked an angry reaction from his teammates who refused to take part in a training session ahead of their next game against South Africa which the French eventually lost ending their World Cup campaign.

The fiasco brought an angry response from the French public and politicians with Escalettes and Domenech being brought before the National Assembly’s Cultural Affairs commission.

“Neither myself, nor my successor, nor the future coach will forget what happened and everyone will make sure that he (Anelka) never plays for France again,” Escalettes said at the meeting as reported in the National Assembly website Saturday.

For his part Domenech, who has stood down as France coach, explained why he had refused to shake the hand of South Africa’s Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira at the end of his final game in charge.

He said it would have been hypocritical as he was enraged with Parreira for saying that France did not deserve to be in the final because of the Thierry Henry handball incident against Ireland in a World Cup qualifying playoff game.

“Maybe my reaction was not wonderful, but I wanted to defend our values, both mine and the French team’s. No-one has the right to insult the French team.”

Domenech also defended his 50,000 euros a month salary saying it was among the lowest of any of the coaches at the World Cup.