French striker Nicolas Anelka has refused to apologize for his part in the players’ revolt that ripped apart the national team’s World Cup campaign in South Africa.
Anelka was sent home from the tournament in disgrace following a foul-mouthed dressing-room bust-up with coach Raymond Domenech, after which the squad refused to train.
The 31-year-old said that the atmosphere inside the France camp was like a “timebomb”, and the squad was united in their decision to go on strike.
“If it hadn’t been me that brought it to a head, someone else would. It was waiting to happen. Everyone, and I really mean everyone, was as one,” The Daily Express quoted Anelka, as saying.
“If there were some players who wanted to train, let them speak now. I’m 100 per cent sure that nobody will want to,” he added.
Anelka’s France teammate Jeremy Toulalan had publicly attacked Domenech’s methods at the time, and recently admitted that he played a direct role in the “strike”.
Toulalan admitted that the players should be punished, but said: “I’m not proud of what I did, but I accept responsibility.”
“There were no ringleaders and no slaves, no good guys and no bad guys. We were all involved and we are all responsible,” he added.
