Football body pays back sponsorship

THE FRENCH football federation has given back millions of euros of sponsorship money after the team's embarrassing performance in the World Cup.

According to newspaper La Tribune, about €4.5m has been handed back to companies such as Adidas, Crédit Agricole and GDF.

Half of the money has come from the footballers' bonuses, which were never paid after the team came bottom of the first round, failed to win a single match and players went on strike.

Players refused to train after Nicolas Anelka was sent back to France for swearing at team manager Raymond Domenech.

Domenech, who was subsequently fired by the football federation for "misconduct" following the World Cup shambles, was recently spotted signing on at a Pôle emploi office in Paris.

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