member World Cup squad has been suspended for the country's next game after its first-round exit from this year's tournament, the French Football Federation (FFF) said Friday. The decision was taken during a meeting of the FFF's Federal council on the recommendation of new coach Laurent Blanc. France's ignominious departure from South Africa followed a players' boycott of a training session in support of striker Nicolas Anelka, who was sent home for insulting coach Raymond Domenech. Blanc, who was appointed on July 2 to replace Domenech and restore the pride of the 1998 world champion, will announce on Aug. 5 the players selected for the game against Norway in Oslo six days later. The FFF's council was also expected to discuss the positions of playmaker Franck Ribery and striker Karim Benzema, who are under judicial investigation on suspicion of solliciting sex with an under-age prostitute. However caretaker president Fernand Duchaussoy, holding his first news conference after replacing Jean-Pierre Escalettes who resigned after the World Cup, said no decision had been taken. “Personally, I'm convinced that people who play for the national team have to be absolutely clean but I'll have to discuss the matter with Laurent Blanc. I shall respect his wishes and the general interest,” he said. Some council members had also called for the dismissal of Domenech, whose six-year tenure ended in shame after the boycott. “It's a tricky problem. We discussed it but the only thing I can say is that Domenech will be summoned in the next few days and if he wants to resign, I shall not object,” Duchaussoy said. Duchaussoy said the council fully approved Blanc's proposal to omit all 23 players selected by the French Federation for the World Cup. He said heavier sanctions against the leaders of the team's mutiny in Knysna, where the players refused to train two days before their last group game, would depend on the result of an inquiry already ordered by Escalettes. The first official game under Blanc is on Sept. 3 when France hosts Belarus in a Euro 2012 qualifier. Ramalho rejects Brazil job Muricy Ramalho has rejected an offer to coach Brazil and will honor his contract with Fluminense, club directors said Friday. The Brazilian football federation offered Ramalho the national team job Friday but the deal was pending an agreement with Fluminense, whose contract with the coach goes until the end of 2012. Federation president Ricardo Teixeira said Ramalho told him he wanted to coach the national team, but Fluminense club directors said the coach will stay with the club until his contract expires. “Coach Muricy will continue with the club honoring his contract,” Fluminense president Roberto Horcades said. Ramalho's initial contract with Fluminense would have ended later this year, but Horcades said both parts had already agreed to extend it until the end of 2012. The coach was at Fluminense's training session Friday afternoon.
