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Thursday March 26, 2009

Defender Evra slams France fans’ bad attitude

CLAIREFONTAINE (France): Defender Patrice Evra hit out at French fans on Tuesday saying their repeated boos towards the national team showed a lack of football culture.

The Manchester United fullback, who has 17 caps, said he often had the feeling he was playing away when wearing the blue shirt of France on home soil.

“I have been very disappointed by the behaviour of the fans,” the 27-year-old told reporters.

“When we play at the Stade de France, I have the impression we are playing away,” he said at France’s training camp ahead of back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania.

France, third in Euro zone Group Seven, travel to Kaunas on Saturday before hosting Lithuania at the Stade de France next Wednesday.

Raymond Domenech’s side were booed off the pitch after a goalless draw at the Stade de France against Uruguay and a 2-0 defeat by Argentina at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome last month.

“When (Carlos) Tevez came back from Marseille, he told me he had had the feeling he was playing in Buenos Aires,” added Evra.

“There were flags paying tribute to Maradona but at the Stade de France I did not see any flags for (Franck) Ribery or (Thierry) Henry.

“I don’t understand. The fans should be behind us. When you play at the Stade de France, you often hear boos after only five minutes, it has to stop.

“Maybe they don’t like football.”

Evra, who joined United from Monaco in January 2006, said this would not happen at Old Trafford, where the champions were beaten 4-1 by arch-rivals Liverpool in the Premier League title race 10 days ago.

“When we lost, there was applause, not boos,” he said.

“It’s a matter of culture. French people don’t have the (football) culture that Brazilian, Argentine or English fans have.” — Reuters

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