• World Cup

Malouda stunned by France disgrace

Soccernet staff
June 23, 2010
Florent Malouda was one of France's better players during a disastrous World Cup campaign © Getty Images
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As the France side prepared to return home in shame - and in economy class, at the insistence of the French FA - Florent Malouda said the address given to the squad by minister for sport Roselyne Bachelot on the eve of the match against South Africa left him stunned.

Bachelot, who was asked to intervene as relations between players, coach and officials deteriorated over the weekend, asked the team: "How would you like people to remember you? What image do you want to leave behind? It's your kids, our children, for whom perhaps you will no longer be heroes. It is the dreams of your partners, your friends, your fans that you have perhaps broken. You have tarnished the image of France."

Malouda, who scored France's consolation goal in the 2-1 defeat to the hosts, said: "I have never been a boxer but it was like you have been knocked out. It was a complete disaster because we chose to express ourselves like this. We didn't know it would affect so many people. Honestly.

"There are no bad guys. I heard things like we were acting like gang leaders or something like that. Everybody, all the players, agreed to act like this and everybody said that we would take responsibility for what comes.

"We are really sorry for the French population, the French fans - that's now what we want to show. That's not what we want people to think about France."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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