Why Ben Arfa Lost His Rag!

03 October 2012 15:49
Yohan Cabaye has revealed his Newcastle compatriot Hatem Ben Arfa's furious bust-up with former national coach Laurent Blanc during Euro 2012 was down to the stress of trying to win the competition.

Following Les Bleus' defeat to Sweden in the final Group D match in June, a number of players - including Ben Arfa - were said to have had an angry exchange with Blanc.

Yohan Cabaye: "The face he showed during the Euro, it is not Hatem Ben Arfa. I knew him for a year.

"Maybe the competition, the desire to do well, stress, [meant] he acted like that.

"You really know people when you're with them everyday. You discover them outside of football. This is the case, we [Ben Arfa and I] often see outside.

"France can judge our own progression against Spain in the World Cup qualifying fixture.

"Spain is the very best at the moment, so the motivation will come alone. Everyone wants to play games like they play.

"It will allow us to judge our team team and we know we will not stop working even if we win the game. The most important thing is to finish first in the group."

Source: FOOTYMAD