French four to face disciplinary hearing

03 July 2012 13:47

The French Football Federation have opened disciplinary proceedings against four members of France's Euro 2012 squad.

Samir Nasri, Hatem Ben Arfa, Jeremy Menez and Yann M'Vila will be called before the FFF's disciplinary committee for a variety of offences committed during the tournament in Poland and Ukraine, which France exited in the quarter-finals.

Manchester City midfielder Nasri fell foul of the FFF following his heated argument with a journalist in the wake of Les Bleus' last-eight loss to Spain, Newcastle forward Ben Arfa was allegedly embroiled in a dressing-room altercation, Paris St Germain midfielder Menez is to be investigated after allegedly gesturing at goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, while Rennes midfielder M'Vila upset the FFF when he blanked coach Laurent Blanc following his substitution against Spain.

The unsavoury claims have brought back memories of France's disastrous 2010 World Cup, when Les Bleus crashed out at the group stage after the players refused to train following the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka.

On that occasion, Anelka, Patrice Evra, Franck Ribery and Jeremy Toulalan were hit with bans of varying lengths by the FFF.

FFF president Noel Le Graet confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday that no members of the 23-man squad would receive their bonus, saying: "This money is blocked, which may be redistributed, perhaps not."

Speaking about the prospect of handing down punishments to the quartet called before the disciplinary committee, Le Graet added: "I don't like to punish by nature and I don't like to deliver a hasty opinion, but our players should be punished or sanctioned.

"I don't want them thinking they are victims. They are not."

Source: PA