The French Football Federation has asked Manchester United defender Patrice Evra to explain his outspoken attack on four pundits during a television interview.
APEvra, seen with France coach Didier Deschamps, described the pundits as ‘tramps’.
Evra called 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu and three other pundits “tramps” on French TV programme Telefoot.
His comments came after the quartet criticised the impromptu half-time talk Evra gave his teammates during a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Belarus, for which he was a substitute. France ended up winning the game 4-2.
An FFF statement said: “Following the remarks made by Patrice Evra in an interview to Telefoot after France v Finland, president Noel Le Graet and coach Didier Deschamps, while recognising that no attack was made against the FFF, the France team, the coach or the players, have decided to ask Patrice Evra to come to explain certain statements about the broadcasters.”
Evra, 32, claimed the pundits had been trying to tarnish his reputation, adding: “There are some pundits with whom I will settle my differences… they want to sell a lie to the French people that Evra is disliked. But that is not the case at all.
“I do not know what Lizarazu has against me. I was twice voted best left-back in the world. Him, I don’t even know if he was ever voted best left-back in the world.
“People have a good impression of me, it won’t be these tramps who dirty my image. They must stop lying to the French people.”
Lizarazu responded: “Yes, I was once voted best left-back in the world. He blames us for dirtying his image, but he is doing a great job of it himself.”
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