Disgraced French soccer team returns home from

                                                                                                        

Disgraced French soccer team returns home from World Cup 2010

                                                         

     

      

By Mildrade Cherfils - GlobalPost
    Published: June 24, 2010  14:13  ET      in Sports   

           

French soccer is the latest debacle to earn the title “affair of state.”

The disgraced national team, returning home from World Cup competition in South Africa, landed at a small airport outside Paris and was met by legions of riot police rather than throngs of adoring fans, according to news reports.

Thierry Henry, the team’s leading striker, was headed to Elysee Palace for a private meeting with President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss the team’s dismal performance. Les Bleus scored one goal in the three matches played during the tournament but it was their cringe-worthy shenanigans off the field that grabbed headlines.

As if qualifying by handball — and a sex scandal involving players and an underage call girl — were not enough controversy for the team: One hot-tempered player was sent home after cursing at the team’s unpopular coach, Raymond Domenech. The rest of the players then boycotted a practice session in support of their banished teammate. After their final loss to host South Africa, Domenech refused to shake hands with the opposing coach.

The whole image-tarnishing affair led to ridicule and condemnation in France, and the president’s involvement has only added to the absurd nature of the team's demise. Ministers have gathered behind closed doors to discuss the future of French soccer and the government has plans to reorganize the French Football Federation in the coming months.

Critics suggest that Sarkozy would do better to focus his energies on improving the economy, pension reform and addressing the hundreds of thousands of workers taking part in protests today that have disrupted transport and schools across the country.

That's instead of focusing on the tribulations of “23 millionaires,” as one commenter on the site of newspaper Le Parisien put it.