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Sponsors start to shun French soccer team

Credit Agricole said on Monday it had cancelled its television campaign with the team

  • Reuters
  • Published: 17:47 June 21, 2010

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  • Image Credit: EPA
  • French forward Nicolas Anelka concentrates before the start of the Group A match against Uruguay. The French forward has been kicked out after insulting the coach during halftime against Mexico.

Paris: Sponsors are starting to distance themselves from the scandal-hit French national soccer team.

Credit Agricole said on Monday it had cancelled its television campaign with the team, which on Sunday boycotted a training session at the World Cup in support of expelled striker Nicolas Anelka.

"We are suspending our advertising campaign on insurance products that features the French team," a spokeswoman for the bank said.

The campaign was initially slated to end on June 25.

Meanwhile, fast-food company Quick decided over the weekend to stop using an advertising film featuring Anelka.

The troubled France team returned to training on Monday to prepare for their final Group A match against South Africa.

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Players wore jerseys without any sponsor at training, according to Reuters journalists attending the session.

Other main sponsors for the French national team include retailer Carrefour and Gaz de France-Suez. They could not be immediately reached for comment.

France's World Cup campaign descended into chaos on Sunday with a row between captain Patrice Evra and a fitness coach, a boycott of a training session and the resignation of a senior team official.

All this came a day after Anelka was sent home for insulting coach Raymond Domenech at halftime of a 2-0 defeat by Mexico on Thursday that left France on the verge of an embarrassing group stage exit.

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