French players apologise to the supporters after humiliating exit

If the minister for sport was looking for an admission of guilt and an apology as the first steps towards rebuilding the image and morale of French sport, she will have been pleased by the response of Les Bleus.
Florent Malouda was a fighter on the canvas trying to locate his gumshield through the fog of scrambled senses. His analogy, not mine. After France's last act ended in more humiliation, a man sent off and defeat, Malouda spoke candidly about the poorly judged training-ground strike and the aftermath.

Malouda said the address made by Roselyne Bachelot on the eve of this match left him emotionally floored. "I have never been a boxer but it was like you have been knocked out. Yeah, it was a complete disaster because we chose to express ourselves like this. We didn't know it would affect so many people. Honestly.
"There are no bad guys. I heard things like we were acting like gang leaders or something like that. Everybody, all the players, agreed to act like this and everybody said that we would take responsibility for what comes. We are really sorry for the French population, the French fans. That's now what we want to show, that's not what we want people to think about France."
Deposed captain Patrice Evra, who did not feature last night, spoke with obvious contrition. From his tone and the deep sadness in his eyes it was clear how much he felt he had let down France. As a gesture he said that the squad would not accept one centime in bonuses. It was also transparent that the relationship with coach Raymond Domenech is beyond healing.
"It's time to say sorry. I apologise to the fans. My coach stopped me saying sorry yesterday. I'll explain things in the week. The French people need to know truth and to know what happened. The team belongs to them. There's no reason why I wasn't on the pitch."
If Bachelot was heartened by the players' response she would have been less enamoured of Domenech, who refused three times to shake the hand of his South African counterpart, Carlos Parreira, after the match. Parreira couldn't recall what he'd done to offend. Apparently he claimed France did not deserve to be in South Africa because of the hand of Henry that ensured qualification. Domenech logged it in his peevish mind.
Parreira said: "As a matter of politeness I went to greet him because I know he will no longer be the French coach. But I don't understand what he said. He said I had offended the French team and for the life of me I don't know what I said. I have never insulted the French team. I asked one of the assistant coaches and he said that when Henry had handled the ball in their play-off game to get here I made a comment that France should not have been here. But that was a year ago so it is lamentable that this has happened."
Domenech needs little encouragement to take offence. Three times he refused to answer for his behaviour towards Parreira, an impoverished display that was met with derision in the French quarter. It is understood that the French federation have booked the players in economy for their immediate return to France. Malouda welcomed the news. Like the result it was considered appropriate discomfiture, the footballer’s equivalent of sackcloth and ashes.
“We have failed from the sport’s point of view and the extra-sports point of view, the image we’ve shown to the world. The way they see France right now is a disaster and we, as players, are responsible for that. We’re leaving the competition without winning a single game so we deserve our position right now.”