France dismiss Blanc reports

Blanc has also been touted as a successor to Ferguson when he retires (GETTY IMAGES)

Federation chief Jean-Pierre Escalettes has rubbished reports that Laurent Blanc has agreed in principle to take over as France coach.

Speculation is rife that, following secret meetings with the federation, Blanc has agreed to succeed Raymond Domenech at the helm of Les Bleus.

However, France Football Federation (FFF) president Escalettes insists no such agreement exists with the Bordeaux boss, who is under contract with his club until 2011..

"It's completely false," he told RMC. "It's ridiculous. Of course I completely deny it.

"Absolutely nothing justifies this type of rumours. It seems absurd to me.

"I have to ask myself what they are looking for with these type of rumours. It's doing wrong to the France team."

Blanc himself has grown increasingly fed up with the constant questioning and the highly-rated coach announced at the beginning of the month that he will now remain tight-lipped on the matter for the rest of the campaign.

This is only Blanc's third season in management.

In his first campaign he steered Bordeaux to second spot in Ligue 1 before finally ending Lyon's stranglehold on the French title last year.