France international striker Nicolas Anelka's international career all but officially came to an end Tuesday as he received an 18-match ban for his foul-mouthed outburst at then coach Raymond Domenech at the World Cup, a French Football Federation disciplinary commission decided.
The commission also handed out a five-match ban to World Cup captain Patrice Evra, three matches to vice-captain Franck Ribery and one match to Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan. Eric Abidal, the fifth player called before the commission - Ribery was not present as his club Bayern Munich refused to release him and Anelka, as expected, did not show up - convinced the commission that he was an innocent party and was absolved.
The five players had been called to appear before the disciplinary commission over the strike that shamed the World Cup finals squad as they went on strike in protest at the expulsion from the squad of Anelka over his outburst at then coach Raymond Domenech.
Evra and Ribery were summoned for not performing their duties properly as captain and vice-captain, Toulalan for being responsible for wording the statement which was humiliatingly read out by Domenech, Abidal for refusing to play in the final group match against South Africa. Anelka, who is suing L'Equipe newspaper for defamation for misquoting what he said, had also been asked to turn up to explain his behaviour but the 31-year-old will more than likely not be too discomforted by the ban as he had already intimated that he would not play for France again.
The FFF had preferred not to summon all the squad members and had pinpointed the quintet as the players most responsible for the shambles which made France a laughing stock. Former deputy managing director of the team Jean-Louis Valentin was one of those called to give evidence and the only one to speak publicly immediately after doing so.