Blanc facing talks on French future

The French Football Federation will sit down with coach Laurent Blanc and discuss his future by the weekend, FFF chairman Noel Le Graet said Wednesday. "Tomorrow, Friday or the weekend," said Le Graet - who has to determine France's options after their Euro 2012 quarter-final exit to Spain. That was the minimum target for Les Bleus - but altercations between Samir Nasri with the media and other stories of unrest in the camp mean the pair will have plenty to thrash out. French politicians have also been aghast at reports the squad will receive a bonus of some 100,000 euros at a time when many in France are having to cut back amid the fallout from the eurozone crisis. The FFF's executive committee will meet Tuesday but there are indications the pair do not see eye to eye, Blanc having for example asked for a contract extension before the tournament while Le Graet made that conditional on getting out of the group. They did so - but only as runners-up to England, meaning they were saddled with a match against defending champions Spain, who proved a bridge too far. Lawmaker from the ruling Socialist Party, Philippe Martin, meanwhile suggested the sports ministry scrap the bonuses due the players at a time when government cutbacks are on the agenda. Martin, noting reports of a funding shortfall of 50 million euros in the ministry, suggested the 2.3 million euros which could be saved could instead be used for promoting amateur and disabled sports. His intervention came after party colleague Olivier Faure also spoke out against the bonuses.