William Saliba may not be called up next month for international matches for French representative teams, so reports Le Parisien. The French Football Association (FFF) has imposed this suspension on the twenty-year-old defender following the video he made of a masturbating teammate, which was widely reported on social media in February. The also involved Ulrick Eneme Ella has received a heavier sentence, because he cannot be called up for a national team for three months.
At first only the face of Saliba is shown in the video. The center-back then turns his phone, causing his naked teammate to suddenly appear next to him. It is not clear who that is exactly, but given the tracksuit that Saliba is wearing, it is probably a teammate of a French youth team. The other players who come into the picture do not seem to be surprised at all from their masturbating teammate. It is not immediately clear what role Ella played in this movie.
The incident must have occurred in late 2017 or early 2018, when Saliba and Ella were part of the France Under-19 squad. The Football Association considered the video to be harmful to the image of the FFF and football as a whole, so it was decided to open an investigation. After hearing both players, it was decided to impose a penalty on them. Saliba is excluded from the national selections for a month, while Ella cannot be called up for three months. This suspension will take effect on Monday, April 26.
The question is whether Saliba, currently leased by Arsenal to OGC Nice, will be affected by these sanctions. The defender played his last international match in March 2019, for the France Under-20. That team has no international matches scheduled for the time being. Saliba was not part of the French selection at the European Under-21 Championship in March. Ella, employed by Brighton & Hove Albion, played his last international match in June 2019, for France Under-18.
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