Samir Nasri says France coach was not man enough

Tomiwa Babalola

Manchester City midfielder, Samir Nasri has said that the France manager, Didier Deschamps, wasn't bold enough to tell him that his name has been omitted from the French squad for the 2014 World Cup squad in Brazil.

The former Arsenal playmaker announced his retirement from international soccer the moment he learnt he won't be going to Brazil.

Asked what he would tell Deschamps if he was in front of him, Nasri told L'Equipe's TV channel: "I would tell him ... that he should have behaved like a man, take responsibility for his choices by telling me '...you're not coming (to the World Cup), you're not happy, too bad'.

"At least we would have had a man-to-man conversation."

Nasri was banned for three matches after launching a foul-mouthed rant at a reporter following France's quarter-final defeat by Spain at Euro 2012. Laurent Blanc was the France coach then while Deschamps took over after the Euro finals.

When Deschamps unveiled his World Cup squad last May, he said about Nasri: "He is a starter at City, which is not the case with France and he has made clear that he is not happy when he is not (a starter), and I can tell you it can be felt in the squad.

"I built the best squad, I did not pick the 23 best French players."

The World Cup exclusion infuriated Nasri's girlfriend, who tweeted a series of angry messages riddled with expletives.

Nasri, who has a reputation of being a troublemaker, has not been called up since France's first leg World Cup playoff against Ukraine in November 2013.