France striker Nicolas Anelka has been expelled from his country's squad and sent home from South Africa after refusing to apologise for an astonishing verbal attack on coach Raymond Domenech at half-time of Thursday's 2-0 defeat to Mexico. The player has been ordered to go home by a French Football Federation disciplinary committee which convened this afternoon and will leave the country tonight.
The Chelsea forward was not at training today and was asked to apologise by French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes. Upon refusing to do so, was asked to leave the squad. "He will leave the Team France camp this evening," said an FFF statement.
The Chelsea forward, who has now not recorded a shot on target in 429 consecutive minutes' play for Les Bleus, was apparently criticised by Domenech for straying out of position during a goalless first half.
According to French sports newspaper L'Equipe Anelka exploded in rage in the dressing room, verbally abusing the coach. He is reported to have said, "Go fuck yourself you son of a whore."
L'Equipe claim Domenech responded by substituting the player.
The coach returned to the team's dug-out for the second half at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane a good minute or so before his players came out of the tunnel. Anelka was replaced by Andre-Pierre Gignac before the restart.
The reported bust-up is just the latest in what has been a string of rumours about unrest within the France camp and claims Domenech has lost the support of his players. The under-fire Domenech has brushed aside concerns rivals Uruguay and Mexico may manufacture a draw in their final Group A match to ensure they progress to the knockout stages at the expense of Les Bleus. France have to convincingly beat hosts South Africa on Tuesday and hope there is a positive result in the other fixture.
With so much at stake it has been suggested the two teams from the Americas are more likely to settle for a stalemate rather than risk elimination.
It is not something which concerns Domenech, who has plenty of problems of his own to deal with.
"I am not bothered about the others," said the 58-year-old, whose six-year reign as coach will come to end at the same time as France's participation in the tournament. "We have to play and do our thing and the other match is not my problem."
The midfielder Jeremy Toulalan, who is suspended for the South Africa game, hinted that dressing-room disharmony were at the heart of France's problems.
But he admits it is time for the players to start delivering after two woeful and goalless performances.
"We've three or four days left to figure out what went wrong," he said. "You can talk for a long time but it's the pitch that counts. But if we don't all make the effort for each other it's hard. Everyone has to do their own self-analysis. I'm not going to do it for them."
Earlier today, French Football Federation vice-president Christian Teinturier said if there was any basis to the reports about Anelka then he should be sent home from the tournament immediately.
"If the words we have just heard have been used, he has nothing to do there [at the World Cup]," Teinturier told France Info radio.