DIDIER DESCHAMPS ANNOUNCED the French World Cup squad on Tuesday and, rather unsurprisingly, Everton centre-back Sylvain Distin wasn’t included.
In fact, Distin has never featured in a French squad -something that’s come in for plenty of criticism considering his performances for the Toffees since joining them in 2009.
But, there’s no hard feelings, as Distin proved today.
Taking to Twitter and with tongue firmly in cheek, he officially ‘retired’ from international football.
A classy move from Distin but it’s sure to still be a bitter pill knowing that Jean-Alain Boumsong and Sebastien Squillaci have racked up close to fifty international caps between them.
Ouch.
Ok, I will say it, does he have an Irish granny,
Sakho is going to the WC…….and the FFF are paying for him to go…….like,they’re willing to let him play…….on the pitch….in a match……..and Distin won’t be there!!!!……..maybe Nasri’s Missus is right.
The French are weird when it comes to sport and they’re top players I don’t know is it an ego thing or what bit it happens in rugby as well ..
Funnily enough, it was Sakhos 2 goals in play offs that got them there….
Yea but he’s a defender…….or he calls himself one.ur a Liverpool fan,u know better than most
He’s been brilliant for years
Why would he declare for England… There’s such thing as loyalty to your country and having passion in the jersey… How anyone can motivate themselves to play for another country is beyond me
$$$$
To quote an interview with Distin back in 2010- ”Why not? I’m living here a long time. Why not England?.”
Check most of the World Cup squads this summer and you’ll find plenty of examples naturalized players playing country’s they have no cultural, family or ethnic ties to- Croatia, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, USA etc all have them. Happens in Rugby, Cricket and Athletics quite often too. No one accused Mo Farah or Senna (Spain Euro 2008) of lacking Motivation or passion when they won Olympic Gold, Euro 2008. Ditto half the Irish Football squad back in the 90s under Jack Charlton
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“When cars are designed they feed the information into a computer and it throws out this aerodynamic design with the hatchback and all the trimmings. If you put the details for a centre-half into a computer, especially a left-sided one, and you said he needs to be six-foot three, he needs to be quick, he needs to be strong, and he needs to be able to use the ball, then it would be Sylvain Distin” – Kevin Keegan
How many Kevin keegan quotes have you memorised thunder????
Not enough Gorman. Misunderstood genius !
Should have declared for England.
He’d walk into their side and has as much right to play for them as someone like Steve Mandana does for France (Mandana is Congolese and moved to France as an Adult for his Football career & is no way French)
Distan’s dad was from Guadeloupe. Unfortunately that island is still under French colonial rule (along with the likes of Martinique, New Caledonia, Renunion & Mayotte & French Guiana) and isn’t allowed compete in any Fifa Competition bar the Gold Cup- 2.5million people under French subjugation for 100s of years.
Wrong on both counts. Mandanda moved with his family to France at the age of two. He grew up in Évreux, south of Paris, and is as French as anyone else playing for les bleus.
Guadeloupe, Martinique and the other DOM-TOMs are not under ‘colonial control’; they are part of France, and their natives enjoy the same benefits and freedom of movement as mainland French citizens. While there is social discontent in some of the overseas territorities, there is little support for separatist movements, except in New Caledonia and French Polynesia. Mayotte voted overwhelmingly in 2008 to become a full part of France.
He’s 36, not exactly at your peak age.
Beggars can’t be choosers
Ronan,The question just has to be,can he do a job over the next month or so?he’s every bit as good as their best defenders,if not better……. Plus he can play left back and even at 36,i doubt they’ve a faster defender
He probably wouldn’t have been picked even if he was 26 though. How Boumsong has more caps than Distin I will never know. Boumsong couldn’t defend a sandcastle never mind a goal.