May 22 marks a painful birthday for Nicolas Anelka, Lionel Letizi Martin Djetou, Ibrahim Ba, Pierre Laigle and Sabri Lamouchi. In 1998, Aimé Jacquet had excluded them from the France group as the World Cup approaches.
Entering the French football pantheon on July 12, 1998, Aimé Jacquet did not completely give in to the Euphoria when celebrating the most beautiful victory in the history of the Blues. Faced with millions of viewers, the tricolor coach does not hesitate to attack those who have clearly criticized him before the World Cup. “” A certain press lied shamefully. I will never forgive them. I have only contempt for these people “he launches in particular in reference to journalists of The Team, qualified as “Thugs, irresponsible, dishonest and incompetent” and holders of “Monopoly of imbecility”.
The reason for his wrath? The front page of The team “And we play 13?” »» In the aftermath of the announcement of 28 players, the benchmark sports daily driving up the nail by qualifying it as “Courageous type” in his editorial. And this after having said that the former Bordeaux coach “Was not the man of the situation”. But this choice to retain 28 players instead of the 22 expected before eliminating six on the eve of the departure for Morocco, where the Blues must play their last preparation matches made other victims: the six players who stayed on the quay, Lionel Letizi, Pierre Laigle, Martin Djetou, Ibrahim Ba, Sabri Lamouchi and Nicolas Anelka.
