FORMER Leyton Orient player Sacha Opinel - a cousin of Eric Cantona - has launched an international football school in Waltham Abbey.

And the Frenchman wants his youngsters to play in the style of former France greats, and certainly not the current side that crashed out of the World Cup.

Opinel has launched a blistering attack on the France football team from his new base in Epping Forest.

The ex-O's defender was stunned to see his country flop in South Africa.

Opinel told Guardian Series Sport: “The problem was that everyone was not fighting for the same cause in South Africa.

“I can reveal that there was a row between the players, because there were clans in the team.

“Striking is in French people's blood, but when you wear the shirt, then you do not do that,” rapped Opinel, who played with superstar Thierry Henry in the French U17 team.

“The French people had no pride in the team. All this was so different to what it was like in 1998 when we won the World Cup."

“The manager Raymond Domenech was picking the team by the signs of the Zodiac. He didn’t have a clue what he was doing and he made the wrong choices.

“Our expectations are very high, but I do not think the quality was very high.”

Now Opinel has set up his own football school for local schoolchildren to learn the game.

The 33-year-old wants to teach the game in the way that France used to play it, before the team was torn to shreds by internal conflict.

“Football is what I’ve been doing all my life. We want kids to do some sport and learn technique and skills,” he said.

“If they come to us then they will make progress. At some of these places there’s not enough focus on these things. But every coach we have is an ex-professional."

Opinel said he regrets quitting Orient in 2001, when the team reached the Division Three play-off final.

“I was there for eight months and I liked it. I was passionate and helped the team. But I was on good money and Barry Hearn (chairman) wanted to give younger players a go.

“He was betting on youth, and it was a massive disappointment to me when I left Orient.”

Now FA Trophy winner Opinel is branching out.

The International Football School has bases in West Sussex, Kent and now Waltham Abbey.

It is located at Leverton Infants school, in Honey Lane.

Boys and girls between five and 13 years old are welcome.

For more information call 07564 190 120. Alternatively, visit: www.theifs.co.uk