France suspends entire World Cup squad for training strike

NEW France coach Laurent Blanc will be forced to explore his options for next month’s friendly against Norway after suspending all 23 players involved in this summer’s dismal World Cup campaign.

Les Bleus’ campaign ended in failure and controversy, as they managed only one point and one goal from three games in Group A and were left in disarray when the squad refused to train two days before their final game against South Africa.

A number of senior figures had called for sanctions against the perceived ringleaders of the protest – but Blanc proposed to exclude the whole party at a meeting yesterday with the French Football Federation’s federal council, who ratified the decision.