French football body in race quota claim

The French football federation is to hold an investigation into claims the ruling body planned racial quotas in youth academies to limit the number of players of black or Arab origin, its president said last night.

FFF chief Fernand Duchaussoy and France coach Laurent Blanc denied any knowledge of such plans in separate news conferences yesterday.

However, Mr Duchaussoy said there would be an internal investigation at the federation to check claims from French website Mediapart that some FFF officials wanted the quotas.

Mediapart also claimed that measures aimed at limiting the number of black and Arab players in the youth academies had already been enforced at Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyon. The clubs denied this.

National technical director Francois Blaquart said that the FFF's concern was over young players with dual nationality eventually dropping France for their country of origin.

France has been facing a re-emergence of far-right ideas, with Marine le Pen of National Front, a possible presidential candidate, soaring in recent opinion polls.

The French presidential election will be held next year amid heated debates on immigration.