PARIS, May 6, 2011 (AFP) - France's suspended national technical director (DTN) Francois Blaquart said on Friday that he was responsible for the use of the word 'quota' in the meeting that sparked the French race row.
Blaquart said it was possible that France coach Laurent Blanc, also under investigation for his role in the meeting, may not have heard Blaquart use the word and was therefore potentially unaware that a quota had been discussed.
Both men are under investigation after the Mediapart website released a transcript of a meeting last November in which French officials allegedly discussed introducing quotas on the number of dual-nationality players at youth training centres.
"I could understand, as it (the word quota) was only used once -- in an extremely clumsy manner, I admit -- if Laurent didn't hear it," said Blaquart.
"It was a very, very passionate discussion that only lasted 20 minutes during a meeting of three hours."
He added: "I'm not proud and I even feel great shame to see these terms come out and get attached to my name, to Laurent's name and to the names of the others involved, of course."
Blaquart was provisionally suspended for the duration of a two-pronged investigation into the affair being carried out by the French Football Federation (FFF) and the French sports ministry.
Blanc is currently absent on a planned holiday in Italy, but he is expected to be summoned to a hearing next week.
While Blanc's future appears to be hanging in the balance, French Minister for Sport Chantal Jouanno was unequivocal on the quotas issue on Friday.
"A national training programme should be selecting the best players based purely on their physical and mental attributes, and no other criteria," Jouanno said.
Sources say Blanc could be summoned as early as Saturday, or on Monday at the latest.
It is understood the hearing could take place in Bordeaux, where Blanc lives.
"Will Laurent Blanc be summoned in Italy or Bordeaux? That can always be arranged," said Laurent Davenas, one of the two members of a panel leading the FFF's internal investigation.
Davenas said Blanc would be the last remaining official called to give testimony.
Blaquart, meanwhile, is arguably under more pressure than Blanc.
Provisionally suspended last week, Blaquart came under fresh fire late on Thursday when Mediapart accused him of producing a chart highlighting the percentage of dual-nationality players coming through France's coveted training programmes.
Blaquart is accused by the website of lamenting the fact "40 to 50 percent of the players in France's national youth set-up are of dual-nationality".
The officials' fear, according to Mediapart, is that players will benefit from professional coaching in France and could then decide to ply their trade elsewhere.
Asked whether Blaquart is now facing serious sanctions, Jouanno told AFP: "We have to speak with the FFF, but things have gone far enough already.
"The (existence of the) chart has been an open secret. But it in itself is not a problem, and the fact we've tried to define the number of dual-nationality players is not a crime.
"It's more about how it could be exploited towards the eventual creation of any quotas."
The results of the internal investigation are expected to be announced between Monday and Wednesday.
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps became the latest member of France's 1998 World Cup-winning squad to speak out over the affair on Friday, as he expressed solidarity with his former team-mate, Blanc.
"I'm very sad for Laurent, for what's happening to him," said Deschamps at a press conference.
"We're attacking the man, not the national coach or the educator.
"Laurent Blanc is there and I hope that he'll stay as long as possible. There is not the slightest ambiguity about that."
