Last week was supposed to be one where Spanish football supporters prepared to cheer on at least one La Liga side in Saturday’s Champions League final.

Malaga were hit by lightning and the death of coach Manuel Pellegrini’s father as they prepared for tonight’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at Borussia Dortmund.

Zenit St Petersburg 2 Malaga 2

France coach Didier Deschamps has warned his players he will not tolerate misbehaviour.

Didier Deschamps last night agreed to take on one of the toughest tasks in internatinoal football after he agreed to become the new France coach.

The French Football Federation (FFF) have opened disciplinary proceedings against four members of France’s Euro 2012 squad.

The French Football Federation have opened disciplinary proceedings against four members of France’s Euro 2012 squad.

EX-FRANCE coach Raymond Domenech has branded members of the national team “foolhardy brats” after speaking out for the first time about the World Cup debacle.

Former France coach Raymond Domenech has branded members of the national team as "foolhardy brats" after speaking out for the first time about the World Cup debacle.

Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan looks set to commit his long-term future to the club.

UEFA president Michel Platini believes the French players responsible for the World Cup fiasco should have been handed lifetime suspensions.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Laurent Blanc has been “brave” to take on the task of coaching France so early in his career.

France coach Laurent Blanc today named Everton striker Louis Saha in his 21-man squad and called up Lorient forward Kevin Gameiro for the first time ahead of next month’s Euro 2012 qualifying double header.

Nicolas Anelka today claimed he was “dying with laughter” despite the 18-match suspension imposed by the French Football Federation which is likely to spell the end of his international career.

NICOLAS ANELKA’S France career could be at an end after he was yesterday hit with an 18-match suspension by the French Football Federation.

Nicolas Anelka’s France career could be at an end after he was today hit with an 18-match suspension by the French Football Federation.

Patrice Evra insists he is “surprised” that he and four France team-mates have been singled out by the French Football Federation following their farcical World Cup campaign.

THE French Football Federation (FFF) has called five players to appear before its disciplinary committee to discuss the behaviour of the national team during the World Cup.

France midfielder Jeremy Toulalan has insisted the whole squad should be punished for boycotting training ahead of their crucial World Cup game against South Africa.

France captain Patrice Evra and Florent Malouda were both banished to the bench for the vital Group A game against South Africa at the Free State Stadium.

France striker Nicolas Anelka has been sent home from the World Cup after after refusing to apologise for his half-time rant at coach Raymond Domenech.

France striker Nicolas Anelka launched an astonishing verbal attack on coach Raymond Domenech at half-time of Thursday’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico, according to reports.

France midfielder Jeremy Toulalan admits he and his team-mates ran out of ideas in the disastrous defeat to Mexico which looks like bringing their World Cup to a premature end.

THE Republic of Ireland may not be in South Africa but supporters of the Boys in Green will have savoured France’s defeat to Mexico last night, a result that leaves Raymond Domenech’s side staring at the prospect of saying an early ‘au revoir’ to the 2010 World Cup.

France 0 Mexico 2

World Cup Group A

CONTROVERSIAL French coach Raymond Domenech remains unrepentant about his side’s controversial qualification for the World Cup as they prepare for tonight’s opener against Uruguay.

William Gallas has retained his place in a reduced France squad as Raymond Domenech’s side begin their World Cup preparations in earnest in Tignes tomorrow.

LYON against Bayern is a semi-final clash no one expected, and so far it has lived down to expectations.

ARJEN ROBBEN may have been Bayern Munich’s Champions League saviour once more but he was still forced to issue an apology following the 1-0 semi-final first leg win against Lyon on Wednesday night.

THE conqueror of Fiorentina and Manchester United, Arjen Robben, again produced the moment of individual brilliance that settled a Champions League game, although the former Chelsea winger’s 70th-minute winner was just one of several talking points.

Bayern Munich 1 Lyon 0

BAYERN MUNICH defender Philipp Lahm has played down the impact of Lyon’s travel woes ahead of tonight’s Champions League semi-final first leg.

TWO GOALS from Lisandro earned Lyon a crucial advantage over Bordeaux in their domestic French battle to discover who will face Manchester United or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

MANCHESTER CITY midfielder Patrick Vieira has admitted that he does not know how much longer his body can stand up to the rigours of playing in the Premier League.

France striker Nicolas Anelka has warned his team-mates they cannot afford to defend the 1-0 advantage they hold over the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup play-off second leg.

FRANCE defender Eric Abidal will miss the second leg of the World Cup play-off against Ireland on Wednesday night due to a thigh injury.

THE wind and rain was of King Lear proportions outside the French team’s Dublin hotel last night but the storm clouds have never been far from Raymond Domenech during his five years in charge of Les Bleus.

Giovanni Trapattoni has challenged his Republic of Ireland players to raise their game another notch if they are to edge past France and into next summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa.

France midfielder Jeremy Toulalan remains a major doubt for Les Bleus’ World Cup play-off first leg against Ireland tomorrow.

Lyon utility man Jeremy Toulalan is unlikely to play for France in their crucial World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, according to his club coach Claude Puel.

IRISH fans are being given a bonus chance to buy tickets for Saturday’s big game at Croke Park.

RAYMOND Domenech has told France’s players the pressure must come from within for their make-or-break World Cup play-off against Ireland.

Raymond Domenech has told France’s players the pressure must come from within for their make-or-break World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland.

FRANCE’S first-choice front man André-Pierre Gignac suffered an injury scare during Toulouse’s 3-2 win against Rennes in Ligue 1 yesterday.

Raymond Domenech today left captain Patrick Vieira out of his France squad to face the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup qualifying play-off this month.

RAYMOND DOMENECH names his France squad for next week’s World Cup qualifying play-off against Ireland this afternoon with doubts over his two most senior players.

Liverpool 1 Lyon 2

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard returned for the Champions League encounter against Lyon at Anfield but the surprise selection was teenage defender Martin Kelly.

Faroe Islands 0 France 1