Marc Ritaly says France dismissal under Zinedine Zidane made him ‘an example’

Marc Ritaly, the doctor appointed to Zinedine Zidane’s new France coaching staff, says the French Football Federation’s decision to remove him was disproportionate.

The federation announced Ritaly’s appointment to the medical team on 13 August, but told him two days later that their cooperation would not continue. The decision followed an interview he gave to RMC Sport on the day his appointment was confirmed.

The French Football Federation concluded that Ritaly had breached his duty of confidentiality and replaced him with Serge Isidoro.

Speaking to Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alsace, in comments reported by Foot Mercato, Ritaly said the punishment did not reflect the circumstances. He pointed out that he had not signed his contract with the federation when he spoke to the media.

“I had not signed my contract when journalists contacted me,” he said.

‘I deserved a yellow card’

Ritaly acknowledged that he had been advised to exercise caution, but said he had not understood those warnings to mean he was under a strict ban on speaking publicly.

“That deserved a yellow card, a punishment or a reprimand, but not complete exclusion,” he said.

The doctor said he did not receive his contract until the evening of 14 August, the day after his interview. It was only when the document arrived that he discovered a strict clause concerning the duty of discretion towards the media.

The following day, he learned that his name had been permanently removed from Zidane’s coaching staff.

Ritaly also rejected any suggestion that he had disclosed sensitive information during the interview. He referred to 20 years of experience with Sochaux, as well as his work with several professional cycling teams.

“I did not provide any sensitive information,” he said.

He believes the involvement of France and Zidane gave the dispute a much higher profile than it would otherwise have received.

“As soon as France and Zinedine Zidane are mentioned, the matter receives a very wide response,” Ritaly said.

Although he wants to move on from the incident, Ritaly said he also wished to protect his own reputation and that of his family.

He believes the federation wanted to send a clear message from the moment the new coaching staff was formed, and that he became the example used by the organisation to enforce its rules.

“Yes, they made an example of me,” he said.

France are preparing to begin a new era under Zidane, with four matches scheduled at the start of their Nations League campaign.

Les Bleus will face Turkey on 25 September and Belgium on 29 September, before meeting Italy on 2 October. They will complete the sequence with another match against Belgium on 5 October in France.