Share

Kung fu kick Evra 'should have known better', says Deschamps

Paris - France coach Didier Deschamps predicted Patrice Evra would pay a heavy price for kicking a Marseille fan last week and says the former national captain should have known better.

"I'm neither condemning him nor judging him," said Deschamps, for whom Evra played at Monaco and with France.

"Patrice is fully aware of the consequences.

"It's something that you just can't do and he knows that," said Deschamps about Marseille left-back Evra assaulting one of the club's fans ahead of a Europa League game against Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal last Thursday.

"Decisions will follow from both UEFA and his club," Deschamps said.

The 36-year-old was suspended by Marseille on Friday after he was red carded for the assault which happened in the pre-match warm up.

Marseille fans made their hostile feelings clear to Evra at the club's Velodrome stadium on Sunday unfurling banners against the player as the club thrashed Caen 5-0 in Ligue 1.

Chants rang out insulting the former Manchester United and Juventus left-back, while one banner carried the slogan "This Game is Over" in English, parodying Evra's favourite slogan of "I love this game".

Another banner read: "We don't want you in our colours anymore. Evra get lost."

One French garment designer released a t-shirt this week that reads in French "Un petit Pat pour l'homme - Un grand Pat vers la retraite" - A small step for the man, a giant step towards retirement.

The caption, a play on words with 'Pat' and 'pas' (step) evokes American astronaut Neil Armstrong's iconic message back to earth when he became the first man to step on the moon in 1969.

In contrast to how Evra is remembered in Manchester, in France there has been a whiff of sulphur to Evra's reputation since a player's strike at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa whilst he was captain - a series of events known as 'the Knysna affair'.

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
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1843 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1810 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 470 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 261 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