(17 Aug 2010)
1. Various exteriors of the French Football Federation (FFF) with journalists outside
2. Taxi with player Jeremy Toulalan (seen through window) arriving at FFF and entering car park
3. Former France team director Jean-Louis Valentin arriving, surrounding by media
4. SOUNDBITE: (French) Jean-Louis Valentin, former France team director
"I am serene. I come here to testify, tell what I've been through and I'm at the disposal of the commission."
(Upsound reporter)
"Justice, yes, but mainly I think that we need to overcome what happened with the idea that it can't happen ever again."
(Upsound reporter)
"Wait, we'll see about that (about sanctions). I am here to testify. So the testimony first and the comment after."
(Upsound reporter about the fact that Anelka is not appearing at hearing)
"I think he is represented (by a lawyer). I don't know. "
5. Alain Boghossian, former Domenech's assistant coach, arriving (in white shirt) surrounded by media
6. Various exteriors of the French Football Federation with journalists outside
STORYLINE:
The French Football Federation (FFF) summoned five players on Tuesday for a disciplinary hearing regarding their roles in the national team's strike at the World Cup, a session that could lead to sanctions ranging from lifetime international bans to a mere reprimand.
Jeremy Toulalan arrived Tuesday morning at FFF headquarters for what could be a daylong hearing.
Other players called to appear were captain Patrice Evra, Franck Ribery, Eric Abidal and Nicolas Anelka, whose changing-room rage triggered the strike.
It was unclear whether some were sending in lawyers to represent them.
Ribery, who was vice captain at the World Cup, is unlikely to be at the hearing because Bayern Munich is refusing to release him ahead of its opening Bundesliga match on Friday against Wolfsburg.
All 23 players on France's World Cup squad boycotted a training session at the tournament in South Africa to protest Anelka's expulsion from the squad after he insulted then-coach Raymond Domenech during a 2-0 loss to Mexico.
Domenech was among those expected to attend the hearing. Assistant coach Alain Boghossian was seen entering the building.
Former France team director Jean-Louis Valentin, who resigned when the players refused to take part in the training session, said as he entered that he was "serene."
He said there is a "need to overcome what happened with the idea that it can't ever happen again."
France was eliminated after the first round of the World Cup without winning a match.
But it was the players' actions, including the squad's sit-in on the team bus, that horrified the French public and drew condemnation from President Nicolas Sarkozy and other political leaders.
The players have already been punished financially, with the federation withholding their World Cup bonuses.
France coach Laurent Blanc wants to move on after having dropped all 23 players for his first match in charge last week - a 2-1 loss to Norway in a friendly.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
