Ben Yedder to appeal French ban for night out
Reuters - Tuesday 27 November 2012, 09:53
France prospect Wissam Ben Yedder will appeal his ban from all national teams until January 2014 for an unauthorised night out while on under-21 duty despite admitting his mistake.
The 22-year-old, the French top flight's second top scorer with nine goals, is the second of five players who spent a night at a Paris club to appeal after France midfielder Yann M'Vila.
"I have been considering about it for long and I have decided to appeal the ban," Toulouse striker Ben Yedder told sports daily L'Equipe on Tuesday.
"I am fully aware I was mistaken and I face it. But I want to save my chances to be called up by France, maybe sooner [than the ban's end].
"I am ready to do whatever the appeal commission want me to in order to reduce the sanction," added Ben Yedder, who could also choose to play for Tunisia.
The five players were summoned by French football officials after their curfew-breaking night out between the two legs of a European Under-21 qualifying tie against Norway.
France lost 5-4 on aggregate.
"I am ashamed," Ben Yedder said. "I feel like I have betrayed French football, my coaches, the people who have been educating me since I was a child - my parents, my wife, my team-mates."
M'Vila, who has 22 caps, was banned from all national teams until June 30, 2014 and has already filed an appeal against the sanction.
The four others - Ben Yedder, Antoine Griezmann, Chris Mavinga and Mbaye Niang - were suspended until December 31, 2013.