Anelka: I was going to quit France anyway

Nicolas Anelka, the man at the centre of the France World Cup boycott, says he was planning to quit the national team even before their troubled tournament in South Africa in June.

Anelka told Les Inrocks magazine he had informed coach Raymond Domenech of his decision to end his international career after the World Cup. “The truth is that I told Domenech before the World Cup that I’d quit the France team after the competition,” Anelka said. Anelka, 31, was kicked out of the team after a 2-0 defeat against Mexico for insulting Domenech at half-time.