Anelka: I was made scapegoat for failure

NICOLAS ANELKA has broken his silence on the fiasco of France’s World Cup and claimed he should not have been made the scapegoat for the team’s failings as it was his goal against Ireland in the qualifying play-off that helped Les Bleus reach South Africa.

Anelka launched an astonishing attack on coach Raymond Domenech for his approach to the tournament, revealed that he had tried to quit the French camp during their warm-up matches, remains friends with all his international team-mates and believes Domenech, and not himself, should be ashamed by their behaviour in June.

The Chelsea forward also insisted that his “reputation of arrogance” is a false one pushed by L’Équipe and he spilled the beans about what really happened during half-time on France’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay, when his alleged insult set off the dramatic chain of events.