Nicolas Anelka blasts "racist" France and insists: I never sang the national anthem

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka this week launched an extraordinary blast at his “racist” countrymen insisting: “I never wanted to sing the French national anthem”.

Anelka, born in Versaille but of Guadaloupe origins, is currently serving an 18-month international suspension after his infamous “son of a whore” fall-out with Raymond Domenech during their disastrous World Cup safari to South Africa.

Before Saturday’s clash with Tottenham and tomorrow's Champions League showdown at Marseille, the 31-year-old, formerly of Paris St Germain, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Fenerbahce, Liverpool and Bolton, said: "When France doesn’t win, people start talking straight away about skin colour and religion. When times get tough we find out what people really think.

"They said there was a gang of black players in the French squad at the World Cup, and we then saw the true face of France. They said Franck Ribery had hit Yoann Gourcuff. Ribery was the Muslim, and Gourcuff was the good French boy.”

Anelka won 69 French caps and scored 14 goals for his nation. But with his international career over, he raged: "I have never wanted to sing the national anthem with France. Had they insisted I'd have refused, and quit playing for them.

"The fact I grew up on a high-rise estate counted against me. I was the first player from this background to own a Ferrari, and it did people's heads in.

"People in France have a false picture of me. Everything I have achieved has been abroad. I am not 'made in France' – at home, I have had nothing but trouble."

Anelka’s comments are sure to raise a storm in France – and are unlikely to help his Chelsea team-mates, currently suffering a serious slump in form which has seen them take just five points from their last six games and drop off the top of the Premier League.

The French are revolting. Just ask President Sarkozy.

Distressed South Africans take heart. There has never been a better time to play France. Just ask president Nicolas Sarkozy. They’re revolting.

Yesterday’s open training session in picturesque Knysna featured a furious argument, a player boycott and the resignation of their federation’s managing director Jean-Louis Valentin. That’s a fairly ordinary day for the French at this World Cup.

Group A at this shock-laden tournament will go down to the wire on Tuesday - but when the hosts play the 1998 World Champions, three points for either side won’t be enough if Uruguay and Mexico fight out a draw in Phokeang.

But even if go down in history as the first home nation to fail to emerge from the group stages, BafanaBafana would consider a final triumph over the French in Bloemfontein a major step in the right direction after their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Uruguay.

And a win for the Rainbow Nation might just be on the cards after the latest episode in the French soap opera.

Already riven by all kinds of divisions under outgoing coach Raymond Domenech, tension reached boiling point on Friday when Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home by the French Football Federation.

Anelka was kicked out after French newspaper L’Equipe were told by a mole (“a traitor” if you ask Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra) what went on at half-time during last Thursday’s shock 2-0 defeat against Mexico. They said Anelka called Domenech “the son of a whore” in Polokwane. Anelka denied it and refused to apologise. Thanks very much Nicolas, and good night, said the FFF.

But today, after walking off the training field, the squad released a statement saying: "The players are unanimously against the French Football Federation's decision to expel Nicolas. But we will do everything individually and in a collective spirit against South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.”

And off they toddled. Revolting. Not that training was going particularly well anyway. Everything shuddered to a halt when captain Patrice Evra and fitness coach Robert Duverne had to be pulled apart byDomenech.

Duverne angrily threw his stopwatch away in an untimely outburst... and departed. The players decamped to the team bus before releasing their statement.

Then FFF boss Jean-Louis Valentin added to the chaos, announcing: "They don't want to train, it's a scandal. It's a scandal for French people, for the youngsters who came here to watch them train. I'm resigning, I'm leaving the Federation. I have nothing more to do here. I'm going back to Paris."

Asked if he was l’Equipe’s mole, a clearly distressed Valentin replied "no, no, no".

President Sarkozy’s advisor Henri Guaino said: “It's no longer football, it's no longer sport, it's no longer a team but I am not convinced that a political intervention would solve this kind of problem."

England’s John Terry, who is not revolting, added his opinion on team-mate Anelka just to help matters. Ignoring for a moment his side’s appalling showing at this World Cup so far, the former captain said: "Nico is a really good guy and he is a great player as well. Before he came to Chelsea, there was a lot of negative stuff written about him. But you won't find a better man in football.

"He is someone who is very quiet and been in the game a long time and knows his football. If he had something to say to me, I would stand up and listen."

Neal Collins is in South Africa to complain about England's performance and promote his first novel A GAME APART. See www.nealcollins.co.uk.

To see Neal at the National Arts Festival on July 4, go tohttp://www.computicket.com/web/event/neal_collins_a_game_apart/148367625.

Livid and pissed off: How France feels about Wenger over Gallas... and it could be Capello, Ferguson and Rooney next

THE French civil war has been declared. Verbally, it's a massacre as the slightly mad Raymond Domenech gets stuck in to vaguely crazy compatriot Arsene Wenger over his selection of William Gallas against Barcelona on Wednesday.

The words "Livid", "outraged" and even "pissed off" are flying. In English. I hate to think what all that sounds like in French as Domenech, 58, an international full-back born in Lyon, leads the assault against Wenger, 60, who never got close to a French cap after being born in German-speaking Strasbourg.

And you can understand Domenech's argument. Imagine if Rio Ferdinand had been injured for months and was just approaching full fitness. After just TWO full fitness sessions he is allowed to play - and survives barely 40 minutes before a relapse of his calf strain. Now, according to Wenger and the Arsenal medics, Gallas is out for five weeks. And that could be it for France and the man they hoped would provide leadership and a solid backbone at the World Cup.

Of course, this scenario could yet happen for England boss Fabio Capello - with Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney both requiring significant nursing to get to South Africa. And don't be surprised if Spain come out with similar complaints against Wenger soon - he allowed Cesc Fabregas to play despite injuring the same leg in the same place before the Barcelona clash against Birmingham last season.

But for now, we can concentrate on the Gallas situation - and change his name to Rooney, Lampard, Fabregas or (hopefully) Messi or Ronaldo as the countdown to the big June 11 kick-off in Soccer City approaches. And as Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson would always say: "It's the club that pays the wages."

Gallas last played on February 10 when he first went down with his calf problem. At the same time there were contract talks and Roma representatives were allegedly hovering.

Some thought we had seen the last of the Frenchman, a leader, an inspiration - and an occasional sulker. But he did battle back - and had enjoyed just two full training sessions before the Barcelona game.

I said at the time, that epic result might have ended Arsenal's season. They lost Andrei Arshavin, Fabregas and Gallas to gain a result which leaves them with little chance of progress at the Nou Camp next week. Ironically Gallas went off before half-time, after seeing the Gunners comprehensively outplayed for 42 minutes. And, like the injured Arshavin, he saw none of the goals in a magnificent come-from-behind 2-2 draw.

Afterwards, Wenger said: "I took a gamble that didn't pay off. I can say I regret that now. He will be out for a minumum of five weeks."

He didn't look all that upset in the press conference. And that didn't help Domenech's mood as he prepares for France's pre-World Cup training camp starts on May 18. Domenech, always under pressure in the French hot-seat, said: "It's outrageous and irresponsible to have played him so early after the injury. It's scandalous. I'm livid and pissed off. He'd better be fit for the World Cup."

But Wenger, like Sir Alex Ferguson when it comes to Rooney later in the month, responded: "We have to first take care of the interests of Arsenal. The French team is important but so is Arsenal and William is paid by the club, not by the French team. We have to use the players when they declare themselves fit.

"I believe he declared himself fit and I have the reports from the rehabilitation centre where he worked for 10 days and he had four days training with the team. Maybe we should have taken some more time but he was jumping, running up and down the stairs in France, and he had very hard sessions. I don't think this will cost him his World Cup."

The ultimate Cantona solution: I would have punched Thierry

AH yes, trust Eric Cantona to put the whole thing in perspective. What should the Irish have done when Eric's fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry committed his blatant handball to put the Republic out of the World Cup in Paris on Wednesday? Punched him!

In fact, the fiery Cantona can't understand why Aston Villa's Richard Dunne didn't do exactly that when he sat with Henry after the whistle had gone and the Irish were forced to accept they had been cheated out of next year's carnival in South Africa.

As a very ordinary but highly-motivated South Bucks church league defenderr, I find myself in agreement, especially since the French have this morning refused the polite, safe-facing option of a replay, despite overwhelming public pressure.

Manchester United legend Cantona, who famously kung-fu kicked a fan for being rude to him at Crystal Palace, said: "What shocked me most wasn't the handball. It was at the end of the match wshen, in front of the cameras, Henry went and sat down next to an Irish player (Dunne) to console him, even though he'd screwed them three minutes earlier.

"If I'd been Irish, he wouldn't have lasted three seconds."

Cantona wasn't much nicer to France coach Raymond Domenech. He said: "I think Domenech is the worst coach in French football since Louis XVI."

Given that the "Sunshine King" was guillotined when the revolution came in 1793, Cantona presumably feels heads should roll.

Cantona advises: "If it was up to me, I'd put Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc (another former Manchester United Frenchman) in charge. First he wins the league with Bordeaux and then he wins the World Cup! I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Blimey, thanks Eric. All sorted then! Meanwhile the agony goes on for Irish supporters - and a world of football fans who have had enough of cheats prospering, going way back to Diego Maradona's disgusting Hand of God goal in 1986. At present, 342,014 of them have joined the petition on Facebook (adding some great virals, see above), and a march from Lansdowne Road to the French emabassy is scheduled as I write.

But do they listen, the people that runs football? First FIFA turned down the option of a replay, then the French shut the door this morning - despite Henry twittering last night he though a replay was "the fair choice, but it's out of my hands."

This morning Henry's twitter site is down after "dubious activity". Too honest perhaps, Thierry?