France quartet face July 27 hearing
Four France players will appear before a French Football Federation (FFF) disciplinary commission on July 27 to explain their behaviour at Uefa Euro 2012™, a source told AFP on Wednesday.
The FFF executive committee had decided at a meeting on Tuesday that Hatem Ben Arfa, Yann M'Vila, Samir Nasri and Jeremy Menez should face disciplinary action for damaging the image of the France team during the tournament in Ukraine.
"July 27 is the planned date. These players have undermined the values of the France team, of the shirt, of the badge," the source said.
"Their behaviour is the common link between them, albeit to different extents for each one. There are grievances, and the commission will sort these out."
Nasri risks the the most serious punishment. The Manchester City midfielder verbally abused an AFP journalist after the loss to Spain and was seen as a disruptive influence throughout.
He later wrote on Twitter: "There are too many counter-truths going around. I want supporters, and especially the children among them, to know that I sincerely regret the fact that what I said might have shocked them.
"I love the France team and the game of football, and I have a deep respect for the general public."
He added: "The rest is a personal matter between me and certain journalists. I will explain myself when the moment arises."
Ben Arfa, of Newcastle United, had a dressing room row with Laurent Blanc, who stood down as coach after the tournament.
Menez railed at a referee, and gestured at captain Hugo Lloris during the 2-0 quarterfinal defeat to Spain, telling him to shut up, while M'Vila did not shake hands with Blanc or his replacement when he was substituted by Olivier Giroud.
All the incidents led many pundits to draw similarities to the France squad that disgraced itself at the 2010 World Cup.
On Tuesday, the FFF decided that 100 000-euro bonuses owed to the whole squad for reaching the last eight of the tournament would be frozen.
"The whole of the bonuses of the France team at Euro 2012 are frozen," said president Noel Le Graet.
"It's blocked money, which may be redistributed or maybe not."
