The French national football team abruptly cancelled a training session on Sunday afternoon following an altercation between captain Patrice Evra and Robert Duverne, the team’s fitness coach.
France coach Raymond Domenech had to separate the two men to prevent their dispute from escalating, after which Duverne threw his stopwatch to the ground and left the grounds in anger.
The players later released a statement saying they had refused to train in protest at the decision to expel Nicolas Anelka from the team after Anelka launched a tirade of insults against Domenech in a dressing room row during France’s 2-0 loss to Mexico on Thursday.
France team director Jean-Louis Valentin announced he was quitting his post after the training session was cancelled.
“Quite honestly, I’m leaving South Africa and flying home to Paris,” he told journalists at the French headquarters in Knysna.
“I’m outraged and disgusted. I’m quitting my job here. What is happening here is a scandal for the (French football) federation, for the French team and for the entire country.
“They don’t want to train. That’s unacceptable.”
