Moscow — From throwing tantrums, taking a swipe at their coaches to sending emissaries and cutting all links with the national team, football stars who failed to nail down places in their national teams playing in the World Cup here have displayed bizarre reaction.
From Adrien Rabiot, Dmitry Payet and Karim Benzema, French stars who did not make it to World Cup stand out in the list. Here, I sample some cases which stand out:
Announce your retirement:
When Belgium's coach Roberto Martinez announced in March that AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan was not in his team for the Fifa World Cup, the heavily-tattooed 30-year-old player replied in style, immediately announcing his retirement from the Red Devils squad.
An undisputed starter for Belgium under former coach Marc Wilmotts during 2016 Uefa Euro Championship qualifiers, Nainggolan, who has played 30 times for his country and is popular with supporters, hung up his boots.
"Unfortunately and very reluctantly my international career comes to an end," Nainggolan, known for flashy hairstyles, wrote on Instagram. "I've always done everything I could to represent my country. Being yourself can irritate people. From this day on I'll be the number one fan." Martinez said the reason was tactical but Nainggolan had made up his mind.
On Monday, Belgium rallied from 2-0 down in the 70th minute to beat Japan 3-2 at Rostov Arena and reach the quarter-finals where they face Brazil.
Write to the coach:
In May, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot wrote to France coach Didier Deschamps 'that he was not prepared to be a World Cup standby player.'
While announcing his squad for Russia, France's 1998 World Cup winning captain Deschamps had said the 23-year-old's performances for Les Bleus were not as impressive as his performances at PSG.
Rabiot had been part of 11-man standby squad which would train separately from the main squad. France beat Argentina 4-3 in the knock-out stage on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals where they face Uruguay.
Write to the team:
When a ruptured Achilles tendon ruled Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny out of the World Cup, the 32-year-old wrote a letter of encouragement to the French squad. Koscielny had been injured in Arsenal's loss to Atletico Madrid in Europa League semi-finals.
Koscielny's gesture was met with words of praise from Deschamps.
Let your mother fight your wars:
When Marseille forward Dmitry Payet got injured in 2018 Europa League final against Atletico Madrid in May which the Spanish team won 3-0, the injury ruled him out of coach Deschamps' team but the coach failed to inform the former West Ham striker about his World Cup fate.
Days later, Deschamps faced criticism from Payet's mother Michelle Payet for not personally informing the player he would not be going to the World Cup.
"No. He found out watching on television like everyone else, with the family," Payet's mother said when asked whether Deschamps had called her son to relay the message.
You know where I am:
Asked whether he would attempt to persuade Deschamps to include him in France's World Cup squad, Real Madrid star Karim Benzema told the France coach: "If you need me, you know where I am".
Benzema has not played for Les Bleus since October 2015 following an alleged blackmail of his French teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
"I am 30 years old, I have two children, I am calm here, if you need me, you know where I am," Benzema told Spanish edition of Vanity Fair in May.
