Euro 2016

Marcel Desailly slams Eric Cantona over Didier Deschamps comments

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 07 June 2016

Former France defender Marcel Desailly criticises Eric Cantona after he appeared to suggest that players had been left out of the Euro 2016 squad for racial reasons.

Former France defender Marcel Desailly has criticised Eric Cantona for his comments regarding the reasons why some players were left out of Didier Deschamps's Euro 2016 squad.

Cantona, who has long been at loggerheads with the French football authorities, appeared to suggest that the likes of Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa were excluded from the 23-man party due to their North African backgrounds in a recent interview.

However, Desailly has leapt to the defence of his former teammate and current national team manager and believes that Cantona lost credibility with his comments.

"I don't see how [Cantona] has come out with a statement like this," Desailly is quoted as saying by PA.

"Either you talk about football - the team, the motivation, the fighting spirit, whatever - or you make a more political statement about how life can be difficult for an immigrant. But this statement has been brushed away - it has only created a buzz, or noise.

"We love Cantona but he has lost a bit of credibility by going that far, that hard, on this. What is he trying to say? We know why Benzema is not there. [Deschamps] has selected him for lots of squads and he wants his best players there - he doesn't care about colour."

Deschamps, who is understood to be considering legal action against Cantona, will see his France side kick off Euro 2016 against Romania on Friday.