No more music in the ears at Lyon

Top French side Lyon have barred their players from wearing headphones in public, defender Aly Cissokho has revealed.

The edict was issued by coach Claude Puel and comes on the back of similar headphone bans at league champions Marseille and first division newcomers Brest.

“The coach asked us not to wear headphones any more. We don’t have the right. We don’t have the choice,” Cissokho told a press conference on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old is one of those who stand to benefit from new France coach Laurent Blanc’s decision to punish France’s 23-strong World Cup squad by not calling them up for next week’s friendly against Norway.

“I hope to be on this list,” said Cissokho who was called up twice for France by former coach Raymond Domenech but remains uncapped.

“It is going to provide an opportunity for certain players to be selected and to show their worth.”

He sees it as a chance to wipe away the disappointment of not being selected for the World Cup where France lost two of their three group games and incurred the wrath of the French public by staging a team strike after striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for a foul-mouthed outburst against Domenech.

“After everything that happened, the internal problems that came through in the heart of the squad, perhaps it was good that I was on holiday,” he joked.