The captain of the French football team, Patrice Evra, stirred controversy during an appearance on the TF1 show Télé Foot. He confronted several football personalities, including Lilian Thuram and Pierre Menès, making accusations and settling scores. Evra criticized Lizarazu for not shaking his hand during his first national team selection and questioned his achievements. He also targeted Pierre Menès and Luis Fernandez, making strong comments about their roles in football.
The tension escalated when Lizarazu responded, stating that Evra had isolated himself from the national team and criticized the timing of his comments on the eve of the World Cup playoffs. The exchange highlighted the internal tensions within the French team.
