By Andrew Warshaw
November 12 – French football is reeling from one of the most stringent domestic bans ever imposed after star midfielder Yann M’Vila was kicked out of the international game until June 2014 after an unauthorised night out while on under-21 duty.
The bans means the 22-year-old Rennes defensive midfielder, who has 22 senior caps, is now bound to miss the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil if France qualifies.
Four other players – Wissam Ben Yedder, Antoine Griezmann, Chris Mavinga and M’Baye Niang – were suspended until December 31 2013.
M’Vila (pictured top), who was recently a target for several Premier League clubs, has already been in trouble before, being suspended for one match for his attitude after being substituted against Spain during the 2012 UEFA European Championship.
The French Football Federation (FFF) made its latest decision after the five players spent a night in a Paris club between the two legs of a European Under-21 Championship qualifying tie against Norway, which France lost 5-4 on aggregate.
French winger Franck Ribéry described the two-year ban dished out to M’Vila as “severe” and said a fine would have been more appropriate.
“I think the punishment is severe,” said the Bayern Munich midfielder, who himself picked up a three-game ban after he and a number of players went on strike during the South Africa 2010 World Cup.
“This is not the best way to help a player back to his best level.
“Sure he deserved a penalty, but rather a fine.
“Suspend until 2014, is frankly exaggerated.”
Following the nightclub incident, both M’Vila and Mavinga were excluded from the Rennes squad for the league fixture with Montpellier, with the club’s President Pierre Dréossi accusing the pair of displaying “a lack of respect for football, the team and Rennes”.
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