18-game ban ends Anelka's career

FRANCE and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has been banned for 18 games after the World Cup fiasco that saw the international team’s humiliating exit after scoring only one goal.

Anelka, team captain Patrice Evra of Manchester United, Franck Ribéry of Bayern Munich and Jérémy Toulalan of Lyon were all up in front of a French Football Federation disciplinary tribunal.

Evra was banned for five matches for his part in the boycott of a training session after Anelka had been sent home for abusing team coach, Raymond Domenech.

Ribery received a three-match ban and Toulalan one. Barcelona’s Eric Abidal had also been in front of the tribunal for refusing to play in the team’s final match but escaped sanction.

Anelka, 31, did not turn up for the hearing that effectively ended his international career and said afterwards that he had “died laughing” when he heard of the decision. He said: “Who told them I wanted to play for France again?”

The player, who played 69 times for France and scored 14 goals, added: “I already play in blue every weekend with Chelsea.”

The professional football players’ union UNFP has attacked the bans as “disproportionate” and said it could not see why the players alone were penalised when the management were just as responsible.

France, who won the title in 1998 and were beaten finalists in 2006, lost two games and drew one.

Once home, President Sarkozy launched a national post mortem and called players, team officials and ministers to the Elysée. Coach Domenech also had to face the French parliament. Mr Sarkozy’s intervention drew a rebuke from football controlling body, Fifa.

New coach, 1998 World Cup winner Laurent Blanc, has already imposed his own sanctions: he dropped all 23 of the World Cup squad members from the recent friendly against Norway.

France lost 2-1 as it started to rebuild for the European Championship qualifying campaign, which begins on September 3 against Belarus.

Photo: Rani777