Global Sport

Simoes said he was angry because a local newspaper reported his $ 220,000 salary last week. His salary is paid by private companies sponsoring the team.

"To print my salary was in poor taste," the 45-year-old Simoes said in a written statement. "I have no intentions of renewing my contract with this country’s money." The contract expires in October.

Ba, Anelka overlooked by Jacquet

CLAIREFONTAINE (FRANCE): AC Milan’s Ibrahim Ba and Arsenal teenager Nicolas Anelka were among six players axed yesterday when French coach Aime Jacquet announced his squad for the World Cup.

Jacquet’s squad of 22 players included seven from Italy’s Serie A, four from England’s Premier League, one from Spain, one from Germany and nine home-based players.

Among theplayers called up were Zinedine Zidane, of Juventus, Inter Milan’s Youri Djorkaeff, Monaco goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and Marseille’s Laurent Blanc all of whom, barring injury, are certain to be the backbone of the team.

There were also call-ups for Arsenal midfield duo Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit, Chelsea’s Frank Leboeuf, and defender Bixente Lizarazu of Bayern Munich.

Johansson’s backers voice concern

NYON (SWITZERLAND): Backers of Uefa president Lennart Johansson’s bid to become the president of world soccer’s governing body Fifa yesterday voiced dismay that France was backing his opponent Sepp Blatter.

"I am disappointed about this disloyal act of the French FA," said Italian Fifa vice-president Antonio Matarrese, a member of Johansson’s supporting board.

Blatter, Fifa’s general secretary, has enlisted the support of Michel Platini, considered France’s finest ever player and co-chairman of the World Cup.

"That made backing the Blatter-Platini ticket historically logical," saidClaude Simonet, the French Football Federation’s president. Simonet was due to confirm the decision at the FFF’s general assembly later yesterday.