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Nicolas Anelka has
described the French Football Federation (FFF) as a “bunch of clowns”
after they handed the striker an 18-game international ban for his role
in the national team’s World Cup revolt in South Africa.

The 31-year-old was
handed the suspension by an FFF disciplinary commission on Tuesday, a
decision derided by Anelka, who said he never intended to play for
France again anyway.

“For me, that
commission thing is absolute nonsense, an aberration, a farce, an
attempt not to lose face,” Anelka was quoted as saying by daily France
Soir on Wednesday.

“They know that
very well. They didn’t punish anybody… because the Les Bleus chapter
was closed for me on June 19, when I was kicked out of Knysna,” he
added, referring to the town where France had their World Cup training
camp.

Anelka was banished
from the France squad in South Africa for insulting then coach Raymond
Domenech at halftime of a 2-0 defeat by Mexico in Polokwane, his 69th
international appearance.

“They just entertained the public,” Anelka said of the commission hearing.

New era

“They’d better turn
the page because (new France coach) Laurent Blanc needs to work in
peace. These people are clowns. It makes me die of laughter,” he added.

“For me, since the
World Cup in South Africa, the France team is all in the past… I wear
a blue shirt with Chelsea every weekend and that’s far enough for me,”
The striker did not attend the hearing, where World Cup captain Patrice
Evra was banned for five matches for leading a boycott of a training
session in support of Anelka.

The FFF also banned
Franck Ribery for three games and Jeremy Toulalan for one. Eric Abidal
was the only one of five players involved in Tuesday’s hearing to
escape without sanction.

Ribery accepted his ban but felt the players at the hearing had been cast as scapegoats.

“This is a great
disappointment for me,” Ribery told reporters ahead of Bayern Munich’s
Bundesliga opener against VfL Wolfsburg on Friday.

“What happened at
the World Cup happened to all of us. I do not know why only five
players had to go to Paris (for the hearing).” Unlike Anelka, however,
Ribery plans to continue playing for France.

“Of course. There is no question about that,” the 27-year-old added.