Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra has been asked by the French Football Federation to explain his outspoken attack on a number of pundits in a television interview.
Evra, who has won 50 French caps, labelled 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu and three other pundits "tramps" and "parasites" on French television programme Telefoot at the weekend.
The group had criticised Evra's impromptu half-time team-talk he gave to teammates at half-time of France's 2014 World Cup qualifier with Belarus in September when he was only a substitute. France ended up winning the game 4-2.
Evra is exasperated with continued criticism of him
An outspoken character, Evra's popularity in France has plummeted since Les Bleus' 2010 World Cup debacle in South Africa, when the squad went on strike and crashed out at the group stage.
Evra said: "There are some pundits with whom I will soon settle my differences with... they want to sell a lie to the French people that Evra is disliked. But that is not the case at all.
"I do not know what Lizarazu has against me. I was twice voted best left-back in the world, four times the best left-back in the Premier League. Him, I don't even know if he was ever voted best left-back in the world.
Tensions rise in Knysna between Evra, fitness coach Robert Duverne and coach Raymond Domenech
"I recall my first call-up to the national side, all the others shook my hand apart from him. Thierry Henry said to him, 'Oh Liza, here is the opposition'. And Lizarazu looked at me and said, 'Why? Someone told you that I was already retired?'.
"People have a good impression of me, it won't be these tramps who dirty my image. They must stop lying to the French people." Evra then classed them as "parasites".
Evra's comments came in the wake of France's 3-0 win over Finland last week and ahead of their World Cup playoff next month.
An FFF statement read: "Following the remarks made by Patrice Evra in an interview to Telefoot after France v Finland, president Noel Le Graet and coach Didier Deschamps, while recognising that no attack was made against the FFF, the France team, the coach or the players, have decided to ask Patrice Evra to come to explain certain statements about the broadcasters."
Lizarazu, also a Euro 2000 winner, responded by saying: "His first cap I was no longer even there (in the squad) and yes I was once voted best left back in the world.
"He blames us for dirtying his image but he is doing a great job of it himself. As regards the timing, it sucks."