The stakes ahead of Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier between Italy and France have just reached the skies, with Lassana Diarra branding the Italians as "cheats and provokers."
Raymond Domenech may have been silenced by a one match ban, but that has failed to curb the diatribe ahead of what promises to be a high-pitched encounter between France and Italy at the San Siro.
Domenech has been surprisingly calm since he lost his appeal against the one match touchline ban, insisting: "The matter is closed as far as I am concerned.
"I will be in the stands and have no further comment to make. In England the managers are often in the stands, although I’ll be a bit higher up."
However, that was not to be that! French international midfielder Lassana Diarra has now weighed in with his take, and it will most certainly not be music to the Italian ears.
"Everyone knows the reputation the Italians have is of cheats and provokers," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport, holding little back.
"The important thing is not to fall into their traps. I am a black man and in Italy we often get insulted, not just by the fans, but also by the players.
"Having said that, the situation does seem to be improving."
"It doesn’t matter whether or not Domenech will be on the bench, because he will follow us until the last minute and then his staff know what to do," he continued, expressing confidence on France's prospects.
"Italy have Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo, but we have Claude Makelele and Vieira. I really don’t think the Azzurri have the stronger pairing."
He ended on a worrying, yet, under the circumstances, a very realistic note: "It will be difficult at San Siro, because the atmosphere will be very tense."
The stewards will most certainly be out in numbers!
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