Fifa president Sepp Blatter has warned France may be banned from international football if its government interferes in the running of the national side.

Blatter said he was sending a "clear and clean message" to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who criticised the team after a dismal World Cup campaign.

Sarkozy has pledged to personally lead an investigation into what went wrong.

But Blatter insisted the governing body would oppose "political interference, even if it is at presidential level."

Les Bleus finished bottom of their World Cup group and were plagued by problems on and off the pitch.

Sarkozy made his disgust clear after

France's World Cup farce

source:news.bbc.co.uk

Fifa chief warns French president Sarkozy

29 June 2010

Blatter is adamant that interference

from governments in its affairs

will not be tolerated.

"In France they have made an 'affair d'etat' with football, but football remains in the hands of the federation," said Blatter.