Difficult to believe, but France coach Laurent Blanc insists his snub to Manchester United fullback Patrice Evra had nothing to do with politics.
Evra, 29, was available for his country again after a five-match ban for his role in the players' revolt against ex-boss Raymond Domenech at the 2010 World Cup.
French Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno insisted earlier this week that Evra should not be picked, irrespective of his ban expiring.
But Blanc insisted his decision not to pick Evra was solely down to "sporting criteria" and not to do with his run-in with the French Football Federation in the summer.
"It's a position where there is a lot of competition and the performances of Eric Abidal, especially in the last few matches, have dictated my decision," said Blanc.
