Willy Sagnol, coach of the France U21 national team, clarified on Friday the reasons behind not summoning Giannelli Imbula. Sagnol emphasized that it was not a sporting sanction and that Imbula’s reduced playing time at Marseille did not influence the decision. He stated that the player’s behavior during the last training session was not in line with the standards expected of a player representing the national team.
However, according to reports, the real reasons for Imbula’s exclusion go back to the France-Iceland match on October 14. Imbula, substituted by Sagnol after an unconvincing performance, reportedly protested on the bench. Furthermore, he displayed a bad temper towards a staff member offering him a coat, saying, “And I told you I was cold?” This incident reportedly angered Sagnol and contributed to his decision not to call up Imbula. Despite this, Sagnol expressed a willingness to give the player another chance in the future.
