PARIS, June 26: French people do not fully identify with their national soccer team because there may be too many “players of colour”, far-right National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen said on Monday.

He also said in an interview that goalkeeper Fabien Barthez should be kicked out of the team if he refuses to sing the national anthem.

“We feel that France doesn't totally recognise itself in this team,” said Le Pen, who caused an electoral shock in the 2002 presidential elections by beating the Socialist candidate to the second round.

“Maybe the coach exaggerated the proportion of players of colour, maybe in this area he should have been a bit more careful, maybe he got carried away in his ideology.”

The far-right leader, who is well-known for his outspoken views on immigration, made headlines before the 1998 World Cup for saying that France's multi-ethnic team was “artificial”.—Reuters