The annual report by the Court of Auditors into public sector management said lack of regulation meant fiddled expense claims, lavish trips and bungled paperwork had become rife at France's governing soccer body.

It accuses members of the federation of taking expensive and unnecessary flights on private planes when they could have used public transport at a fraction of the price.

World Cup and European Championship victories gave French football a massive boost, but the report said seconded coaches of the national teams had submitted inflated expense claims unchecked.

'Civil servants seconded to the FFF claimed sums that are much higher than can be justified by their expenses,' the report said. 'The irregularities are particularly from public officials working as coaches for the national teams.'

The report added many staff were continuing to claim their regular public salaries while drawing huge payments for their work with the French team.

'For example, one trainer for the France team between 1990 and 1998 continued to receive his salary as a sports teacher at the same time as claiming much larger expenses - up to 10 times higher in 1996-7,' it said.

LAVISH TRIPS

Many FFF employees, including senior figures, worked without contracts, said the report.

The report also slammed extravagance at the federation, where lavish trips on private jets cost 95,000 euros during World Cup year, even though the 1998 competition was held in France and public transport would have sufficed.

In response to the report, Sports Minister Marie-George Buffet said sport, and professional football in particular, had undergone a major revolution in recent years and the government was taking steps to ensure it was properly regulated.

'In this context, the Ministry for Youth and Sports has, since 1997, undertaken a series of necessary initiatives so that French sport has a modernised legislative and regulatory structure appropriate for the beginning of the new century,' she said.