France eager to bury ghost of Knysna revolt
Veteran Bacary Sagna insists players have learnt their lesson after infamous 2010 protest when they refused to get off bus over coach sending home Nicolas Anelka
France's World Cup squad are doing their best to bury memories of the infamous "Knysna" player revolt that brought shame on the 2010 tournament.
France coach Didier Deschamps said he did not want to talk about the public revolt by French players, when they refused to train at their Knysna base in South Africa.
But veteran fullback Bacary Sagna, one of the few players to have spoken out, said the team must stay "humble" to win back public trust.
Even if it was gross professional misconduct at the time, we must stop talking about Knysna
France, with several players who took part in the 2010 protests - including Patrice Evra, who was sacked as captain and given a five-match ban - have been set a target of reaching at least the quarter-finals in Brazil.
However, they will be judged by their ability to avoid anything like the events of June 20, 2010, as much as any success on the field.
Led by Evra, the 2010 players refused to train at Knysna in retaliation for the sending home of striker Nicolas Anelka for a foul-mouthed outburst at then coach Raymond Domenech.