France midfielder Adrien Rabiot has refused to be named on the national team’s standby list for the World Cup. The 23-year-old Paris St-Germain player was not in the final 23-man squad but among the 11 reserve players. Reports in France say Rabiot, capped six times, had emailed coach Didier Deschamps saying he would not “be able to follow the training programme”. Noel le Graet, president of the France Football Federation, said Rabiot’s reaction “was very surprising”. He added in a statement: “Rabiot is a high-quality player and an endearing boy who has always behaved well in national selections where he has evolved. Read more
France midfielder refuses to be ‘Spare Tyre’(ThisDay)
