Five France soccer players face disciplinary hearing for actions during World Cup

The French Football Federation announced Friday that five players from France's World Cup soccer team will face a disciplinary hearing for their part in Les Bleus' epic meltdown in South Africa.

Nicolas Anelka, who was sent home from during the World Cup after a profane verbal attack on then-coach Raymond Domenech, is one of the players facing the hearing. So is former team captain Patrice Evra, who was benched for the team's final World Cup match against South Africa and was viewed as a leader of the player rebellion against Domenech and the French soccer federation over the expulsion of Anelka.

Eric Abidal, Franck Ribery and Jeremy Toulalan are the other players facing the disciplinary hearing, which is sure to provide even more intrigue in what has already been a very interesting year, to say the least, for France's soccer team.

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Franck Ribery, left, and Patrice Evra during a World Cup training session June 21. Credit: Patrick Hertzog / Agence France-Presse