Following his harsh remarks about football consultants Bixente Lizarazu, Pierre Menès, Luis Fernandez, and Rolland Courbis, Patrice Evra has been summoned by the French Football Federation (FFF) to provide an explanation. The FFF revealed this in a press release after Evra, left-back for the French national team, made critical comments during an interview with Téléfoot.
In the interview, Evra referred to Lizarazu, Fernandez, Courbis, and Menès as “tramps” and “parasites,” blaming them for making him the “unloved” figure of the French national team since the 2010 World Cup disaster in South Africa. Some excerpts from Evra’s statements include:
- Bixente Lizarazu: “He didn’t shake my hand on the day of my first selection when they told him I was the next generation. (…) He has never been named the best defender in the world.”
- Luis Fernandez: “There is Michel Fernandel (Luis Fernandez), in 2008 I showed him around Old Trafford, he was like at Euro Disney. When we gave him the keys to PSG, apart from sucking chupas chups (lollipops) and dancing the Macarena at the edge of the pitch, I don’t know what he did.”
- Perception of Arrogance: “When I leave the field, I never get whistled, in any stadium. Me arrogant? It makes no sense. I don’t have a problem with anyone, just with commentators.”
- Knysna Episode: “Nobody talks to me about Knysna. People have a good image of me. (This episode) was stupid. But until when are we going to talk about it again?”
- Image and Criticism: “Even if you put Rama Yade at left back, they will say that she is better. They should stop lying to France. My image is beautiful.”
If the French Football Federation is convinced that Evra has tarnished the image of the national team, he could face sanctions. The response from Didier Deschamps, the national team coach, is eagerly awaited.
