LAURENT BLANC will begin his tenure as France’s manager without any of the 23 players who brought shame to the nation at the World Cup finals, having chosen to suspend each one of them for his first match in charge against Norway next month as punishment for their shocking and mutinous behaviour in South Africa.

Blanc has succeeded the deposed Raymond Domenech – the decision to appoint him was taken before the World Cup – and he hopes the unprecedented move to impose the one-match suspension will also serve to draw a line under a controversy that has seen scorn heaped upon Les Bleus.

Blanc said upon his unveiling as Domenech’s replacement that he would bear no grudge against the 23 players, who went on strike before the final group game against South Africa in protest at the decision of the France Football Federation to expel striker Nicolas Anelka from the squad, after a furious dressingroom row with Domenech.

It was the result of weeks of simmering tensions between the players on one side and Domenech and the French FA on the other and prompted chaos.

France lost to South Africa in Bloemfontein to exit the tournament at the bottom of Group A, with one point and one goal, but that was only the beginning.

Even the French prime minister Nicolas Sarkozy became involved in the campaign’s furious post-mortem.

“It is not for me to decide on sanctions,” said Blanc. “I am not the bogeyman. If I consider they are the best players in their position, I will take them.”

Blanc will turn back to many of the exiled 23 after the friendly in Oslo in time for the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign but he felt a grand statement had to be made, even if it hardly makes for the ideal start to his employment.

He met with the French FA yesterday to outline his plans for the future and the governing body said that the player suspension was his idea. Some of the players have already expressed remorse for their actions.

“Going on strike was the decision of a group that felt isolated, that felt no one had protected it and that wanted to get a message across,” said goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The French federation has launched an investigation into the players’ actions. The commission should deliver its conclusions by August 15th.