Nicolas Anelka was part of a French squad that was in rebuilding mode prior to the 2010 World Cup. He was coming off a fine season with Chelsea but he failed to reproduce any of that form in South Africa.
The incident that caused an uproar occurred during half-time of a group match against Mexico. France needed to win to have any hopes of qualifying and coach Raymond Domenech criticised Anelka after an insipid performance.
Anelka exploded and let go verbally at Domenech, which made him substitute the striker. This bust-up was seen as an outburst to represent growing discontent in the French camp against their coach.
Numerous senior players had allegedly lost their confidence in Domenech and it showed in the results as France finished last in their group with just one point. Les Blues had reached the final in 2006 and massively disappointed in 2010.
Post the World Cup, Anelka was banned for 18 games by the French Football Federation which spelled the end of his international career. Over a career spanning 12 years, he made 69 appearances for France, scoring 14 goals.