Laurent Blanc has spent his first nine months in charge of the France team painstakingly repairing the damage of the 2010 World Cup: both to the image of the team, which became a global laughingstock after going on strike in South Africa; and its players, unhappy and underperforming with then-coach Raymond Domenech in charge.
Most people agree that he has done a fine job. He has pushed out the older guard and introduced a new generation of players, while the team is unbeaten in its last six matches, a run which includes a competitive win in Bosnia and prestigious victories over England and Brazil.
Next week, though, Blanc might walk away from the job. He has been considering his position over the last few days, following reports that he supported a French football federation proposal to introduce an ethnic quota at training academies to prevent dual-nationality players learning their trade in France before representing other countries. There were nine players at the last World Cup who played for France's youth teams but switched nations.
via http://m.si.com/news/soccer_sp/wr_soccer_sports/detail/3716963;.cnnsi1
