Football: Blanc’s future in jeopardy
French coach subject of two separate investigations over remarks.
PARIS:
The future of Laurent Blanc as France coach was said to be hanging in the balance amid the fallout from the race row that has rocked French football.
Senegalese-born French footballer Patrick Vieira joined in the criticism after claims that Blanc and high-ranking officials discussed introducing a quota to restrict the number of dual-nationality players coming through their national training programmes.
Two separate investigations led by France’s sports ministry and the French Football Federation (FFF) have started probing reports of the alleged quota plan.
Vieira claims he is shocked by Blanc’s reported remarks, which compare the French and Spanish national teams and also underline stereotypes of black players as being ‘strong and powerful’.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2011.
The future of Laurent Blanc as France coach was said to be hanging in the balance amid the fallout from the race row that has rocked French football.
Senegalese-born French footballer Patrick Vieira joined in the criticism after claims that Blanc and high-ranking officials discussed introducing a quota to restrict the number of dual-nationality players coming through their national training programmes.
Two separate investigations led by France’s sports ministry and the French Football Federation (FFF) have started probing reports of the alleged quota plan.
Vieira claims he is shocked by Blanc’s reported remarks, which compare the French and Spanish national teams and also underline stereotypes of black players as being ‘strong and powerful’.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2011.