Seedings are an 'injustice' - Hidalgo

Former France coach Michel Hidalgo has claimed FIFA's decision not to name France as one of the eight top seeds for next summer's World Cup might have been punishment for Thierry Henry's handball.

Portugal, semi-finalists in 2006, also failed to make the cut as FIFA's World Cup organising committee announced the seeds based on October's world rankings.

"It is an injustice. I wonder if we do not pay for the hand of Thierry Henry," Hidalgo, who led France to the semi-finals at the 1982 World Cup and victory in the 1984 European Championships, said on French Radio station RTL.

Hosts South Africa plus Brazil, Spain, Holland, Italy, Germany, Argentina and England were named as the top seeds.

France and Portugal both needed a play-off to reach next summer's tournament, the French beating the Republic of Ireland in controversial circumstances and the Portuguese seeing off Bosnia-Herzegovina.

France qualified courtesy of William Gallas' extra-time goal, created by Henry's blatant handball.

The president of the French Football Federation Jean-Pierre Escalettes admitted he did not expect France to be among the seeds.

"It is no surprise," Escalettes said. "I did my calculations and we had very little chance of being in the first pot."

France could now be drawn in the same group as the likes of Spain or Brazil, but Escalettes claimed being named in a tough group would not dishearten Les Bleus.

He said: "There is no right or bad news, just as there is no good or bad draw. In 2006 many believed that the draw for the first round in Germany was favourable to us and qualification was difficult."