France: FFF to name interim president

The French Football Federation plan to elect a replacement on an interim basis for departing president Jean-Pierre Escalettes on July 23.

Escalettes' resignation was ratified at today's meeting of the FFF's federal council but he will remain in his post for a further three weeks after divisions between the amateur and professional game meant no immediate successor could be found.

Frederic Thiriez, president of the Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP), and his counterpart in the amateur game, Fernand Duchaussoy, will hold further discussions to determine the way forward before the federal council reconvenes.

Initial reports suggested that meeting would simply establish a process for the elections, which would then take place in September - but a later FFF statement confirmed: "The election of the interim president of the FFF will take place on that date."

The statement also revealed: "The two families (amateur and professional) have decided to work together, over the course of the coming days, on major dossiers which are the key to the future of French football, particularly the governance of the France team and the modernisation of the federal agencies."

In the only firm decision to come out of today's meeting, Laurent Blanc was confirmed as the new national team coach, replacing Raymond Domenech - who had already announced his intention to stand down before Les Bleus' woeful campaign in South Africa.

And the new France boss will hold his first press conference on July 6.

Escalettes, in outlining his own reasons for departing his post, admitted his part in France's failings in the tournament.

He expressed regret over his decision to allow Domenech to remain in his post following the failed Euro 2008 campaign, which saw France bow out bottom of Group C.

"It was not the best possible choice," he said. "We must assume responsibility, the result and the (World Cup) failure is there to see. I assume responsibility."

And Escalettes revealed the farcical scenes which enveloped the France camp during this summer's tournament made up his mind to quit the post.

Following a lacklustre opening draw with Uruguay and a defeat to Mexico, Les Bleus' campaign unravelled amid infighting. Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home from the tournament for bad-mouthing Domenech during half-time in the Mexico clash and the remainder of the squad, led by captain Patrice Evra, refused to train in protest at the leaking of Anelka's words by a member of the entourage.

Escalettes said today: "I decided in my mind to stand down at that moment. All the values I have defended in my time as leader collapsed in front of me.

"I didn't announce it earlier because we had a match coming up (against South Africa, which France lost 2-1). At no point did I think about remaining in charge of the federation after that day. These are difficult times.

"(The biggest failure was) not convincing the players to get off the bus and do their job. I am ashamed and I present my excuses to French football and beyond.

"The humiliation I felt influenced my decision to stand down, which has been accepted by the federal council."

Former France defender Lilian Thuram has called on the FFF to ban Evra from future international action over the events in South Africa.

The players' strike occurred after Evra confronted fitness coach Robert Duverne, who then stormed out of the training session and hurled his accreditation to one side.

The squad then retired to the team bus and left Domenech to read a statement to the press on their behalf.

Speaking after this morning's meeting, Thuram said: "I demanded that the players be harshly punished and that Evra never returns to the France squad.

"When you are captain of the France team, you must have a responsibility to the jersey and the people. When the players shut themselves in the bus, and the fact that it was the coach who read the statement, that showed that the coach was no longer respected.

"In any group there are leaders and people who follow, and others who do not agree and do not dare say no."

Thuram won 142 caps for France and was part of the teams which won the 1998 World Cup, the European Championship two years later and the 2003 Confederations Cup. He also played in the 2006 World Cup final and, at club level, won two Serie A titles with Juventus and a UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia with Parma.