The French squad have agreed to give their World Cup bonuses to help amateur soccer projects throughout the country, drawing a line under the team’s humiliating exit from the tournament.
After France’s group-stage exit in South Africa earlier this year, amid infighting and indiscipline, the players accepted they didn’t deserve the bonuses totaling around 3 million euros (US$4 million).
But they couldn’t agree with the soccer federation about where the money should go, or who should distribute it, until Monday night.
With midfielder Alou Diarra and winger Florent Malouda alongside him, federation president Fernand Duchaussoy announced on Tuesday that the dispute had been resolved ahead of a friendly against England the following night.
ALL BONUSES
“The players confirm the undertaking they took at the World Cup to give up all bonuses of any nature, during the [World Cup] warmup matches and the competition itself in South Africa,” Duchaussoy said at Wembley Stadium.
“The players approve the step taken by the FFF [French Football Federation] to allocate the bonuses to the financing of amateur football projects,” Duchaussoy said.
“There has never been any controversy between the France team players and the French Football Federation. There was just a lack of accuracy and clarity which led to inaccurate and regrettable interpretations. The page has now been turned,” he said.
Diarra said that the players “felt it was the most logical solution.”
“We have come to an agreement that we are all happy with,” the captain said.
France was left embarrassed as a nation during the World Cup when its players went on strike after Nicolas Anelka was thrown out of the squad for insulting then-coach Raymond Domenech during half-time in a group match against Mexico.
Not only that, the team was eliminated at the group stage after picking up just one point from three games, mirroring its performance in the 2008 European Championship.
MOVING ON
Coach Laurent Blanc is pleased that the bonuses row has been settled and the team can focus on qualifying for Euro 2012.
“It is good to put this stuff in the past and it has ended now,” Blanc said through a translator. “It has been solved in the best way possible and we are happy.”
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