French Socialist lawmaker Olivier Faure on Monday spoke out against the 100,000 euro bonus being paid out to each member of France's Euro 2012 squad despite their quarter-final exit to Spain.
After the 2-0 loss, midfielder Samir Nasri was involved in a foul-mouthed exchange with a journalist which coach Laurent Blanc admitted had sullied the image of the team.
"Today, many French people will ask why we pay so much out to people who respect the public so little," Faure, a close ally of President Francois Hollande, told Europe 1 radio.
"When the French are suffering from things such as a fall in their purchasing power and yet see players pocketing 100,000 euros at the end of this competition before then showing contempt for their public it is very painful," said Faure.
(GàD) les députés socialistes André Vallini, Bernard Roman, Jean-Marc Ayrault, Arnaud Montebourg, Manuel Valls et le secrétaire général du groupe PS à l'Assemblée nationale Olivier Faure attendent l'arrivée du président du groupe UMP à l'Assemblée nationale Jean-François Copé, le 06 mai 2008 à Paris, avant une rencontre sur le thème de la réforme des institutions. "Cette rencontre n'est pas une rencontre de négociation. On n'est pas là pour faire des bouts de compromis ici ou là mais pour établir les points de consensus entre nous", a déclaré Jean-François Copé à la presse à l'issue de la réunion du groupe UMP. AFP PHOTO STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN