Arsene Wenger rules himself out of France running

Arsene Wenger has dismissed speculation linking him with succeeding Laurent Blanc as coach of the French national team.

Blanc brought an end to this two-year stint in charge yesterday afternoon, having recently guided Les Bleus to the quarter-finals of this summer's Euro 2012.

While current Marseille boss Didier Deschamps is believed to be the favourite for the post, some reports had linked Wenger with the role.

However, the 62-year-old has insisted that his sole focus remains on his job at Arsenal.

"There are a lot of names," Wenger told Telefoot. "But me, I will be very busy with Arsenal where my contract still runs for two years."

Paul Le Guen and Luis Fernandez are also believed to be under consideration to replace Blanc.