Domenech: My players are imbeciles!

France national coach Raymond Domenech has questioned his players' intelligence after they went on strike.

France's World Cup campaign had been in tatters since even before the tournament actually began, with rumours of dischord within the squad swirling around the Les Blues.

From that unsavoury beginning, things have unravelled quickly - with disaster on the pitch followed by chaos off it.

The 2006 finalists drew their first game against Uruguay before shockingly going down to Mexico. It was during this second match that Nicolas Anelka reportedly abused Domenech during half-time after the coach questioned his first-half performance.

The striker was promptly asked to pack his bags and booted out of the squad. That was when matters came to a head.

The remaining players refused to train the next day and captain Patrice Evra even got into a scuffle with the team director in front of the media.

Speaking on the incident, Domenech - whose own decisions have been questioned for a while now - told The Sun that his players' actions "were an aberration, an imbecility, a stupidity without name."

Speaking on his side's upcoming match against South Africa - a game they must win to even have a hope of progressing, the eccentric declared:

"I haven't picked the team yet. I will pick the players who are mentally and physically in the best shape to win the game.

"The sanction against Anelka is justified and I support the Federation. Nobody should behave in such a way.

It was Domenech himself who read out the players' strike statement and he explained the rationale behind doing so.

"It was an aberration.

"We had to do something. The French people had a right to know.

"What I should have said was I did not support this action. We tried to convince them it was stupid.

"Has our reputation been tarnished? That will depend on the outcome of the match.

"They have to play their hearts out. They have to show they love football and the French team."