Share

Malouda flees French WC camp

George - Florent Malouda became the latest player to quit the disgraced French camp ahead of their scheduled return from their catastrophic World Cup finals campaign on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old Chelsea left winger said that he was leaving separately because he was flying to a different destination to the squad who are due to arrive at Le Bourget airport in Paris at 0930 GMT on Thursday.

"The breaking-up of the group has taken place," said Malouda, who followed Thierry Henry in opting to return home alone.

"I am not going to the same place as the others," added the French Guyana-born player.

Malouda, who was given an escort by South Africa police as protection against a barrage of questions by journalists, has been pinpointed as one of the ringleaders in Sunday's strike called in protest at the expulsion of his Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka from the squad.

Malouda also had to publicly deny last week that he had had a stand-up row with coach Raymond Domenech in training on the eve of the opening match with Uruguay.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE