France raged against Slaven Bilic yesterday but could not change the fate of Laurent Blanc, the trusty French defender whose absence from Sunday's World Cup final he himself lamented as a "personal catastrophe".
Blanc's red-card act, little more than a light cuff of the Croatian's chin, and Bilic's exaggerated reaction in Wednesday's semi-final, has cost the 32-year-old Frenchman the biggest moment of his career.
Blanc, after a sleepless night, was almost inconsolable yesterday and scarcely concealed his feelings about Everton's Croatian defender, who held a hand to his forehead and fell dramatically after the contact. The Frenchman revealed that Bilic had attempted to apologise after the game. "Maybe I should have punched him there," he said, only half in jest.
French hopes of a reprieve were quashed even as they formulated an appeal against the red card. Keith Cooper of FIFA ruled out any chance of the red card from the referee Jose Garcia Aranda being revoked, and shortly afterwards Blanc was banned for two games. The suspension cannot be appealed.
It was the first dismissal in Blanc's 73-cap career. Of Sunday's task against Brazil he said: "My expulsion punishes the player but the really bad scenario is that it also punishes the team. I have this feeling of having tasted the cake but now I'm not allowed to touch the cherry."
Bilic was unrepentant. "I didn't get him sent off, he did," said the Croatian. "He touched me, technically that's an offence, and the referee saw it."
Holland's coach Guus Hiddink has been fined £3,900 by FIFA for unspecified unsportsman-like behaviour.
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