It is one of those cloudy, clammy, Monday mornings and France has woken up with a massive headache.
Throughout Sunday, the entire nation was glued to television sets, tracking the childish antics of their football team in real time, living through collective humiliation at the thought of almost certain elimination at the hands of South Africa next Tuesday.
France is a proud nation where the notion of grandeur or greatness is taken very seriously indeed. And Les Bleus are giving all of France the blues.
Blown out of proportion
Quarrels in locker rooms take place everywhere and are an integral part of the sporting tradition. But the French, in their current state of malaise and depression, over globalisation, rising unemployment, budget cuts and change in pension rules, have blown the incident out of all proportion, converting what is essentially bad football, played by a mediocre team, into a national psychodrama involving the country's honour and greatness.
Over the weekend, following France's crushing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Mexico, the French sporting daily l Equipe featured a shocking front page quote attributed to the team's star player Nicolas Anelka.
The player is alleged to have used unprintable language to insult the coach Raymond Domenech during half-time in the France-Mexico match.
Following the publication of the article the French Football Federation immediately swung into action announcing that Anelka had been expelled from the team. At a press conference the team's captain did not blame Anelka as much as he pilloried ‘the traitor' who had revealed the details of a rude exchange which should never have gone beyond the confines of the locker rooms.
Shocking behaviour
On Sunday there was more shocking behaviour to come. A violent altercation between the team's captain Patrice Evra and chief trainer Robert Duverne was broadcast live to millions of angry viewers and supporters.
The players then staged a walkout, refusing to attend their training session and an emotional official of the French Football Federation resigned in front of avid cameras.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, members of his government and the Opposition, former players and coaches have all waded into the controversy. Mr Sarkozy has asked his sports minister to read the players the Riot Act and stay on in South Africa until the end of this saga.
There are now suggestions that the disunity within the team is because there are divisions along the lines of colour, race and religion. Eric Besson, French Minister for Immigration and National Identity, did not rule out such a possibility, saying he would like to establish all the facts of the case before coming to a conclusion.
Call for punishment
At the Cafe Dupont on the Rue de la Convention, where large screens beam the day's matches, there is animated discussion between angry, scowling patrons.
“Our players are a bunch of over-paid louts who have made a spectacle of themselves. Their salaries and bonuses should be cut as punishment,” said Alain, a regular.
“I am not going to bother to watch Tuesday's match. They don't deserve my support,” said Henri, another patron. “Aren't they taking their cue from the politicians? I've heard they can't stand each other. How can they play together?” asked Jacqueline.
Only one voice appeared to be encouraging Les Bleus from the sidelines: Zinedine Zidane. “I am betting they could go into this World Cup final,” said the man who steered France to World Cup victory in 1998.
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