Soccer: French pick eight Premiership stars for Oz trip

France coach Roger Lemerre has ignored the requests of both FIFA and Europe’s top clubs by naming a strong squad for next month’s friendly with Australia in Melbourne.

Several clubs, including English Premiership clubs Arsenal and Manchester United, had expressed concern over their players having to make a long-round trip Down Under and signed a petition urging football’s world governing body to intervene.

FIFA had initially suggested both associations select just one player from each club, but later admitted they are unable to enforce their recommendations, giving both managers a free hand to pick whoever they wish.

Lemerre has named eight Premiership-based players in his travelling party, with four from the Gunners Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires.

Chelsea duo Emmanuel Petit and Marcel Desailly are selected as well as two of Manchester United’s key personnel, goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and full-back Mickael Silvestre.

Real Madrid duo Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele are also included, along with David Trezeguet and Lilian Thuram from Juventus.

Squad: Barthez (Man Utd), U Rame (Bordeaux), G Coupet (Lyon), V Candela (Roma), P Christanval (Barcelona), C Karembeu (Olympiakos), Leboeuf (Marseille), M Desailly (Chelsea), M Silvestre (Man Utd), L Thuram (Juventus), E Carriere (Lyon), C Makelele (Real Madrid), E Petit (Chelsea), R Pires (Arsenal), P Vieira (Arsenal), Z Zidane (Real Madrid), C Dugarry (Bordeaux), T Henry (Arsenal), D Trezeguet (Juventus), S Wiltord (Arsenal).