Marcel Desailly has dismissed claims that the influx of foreigners to the Premier League is behind England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
A disastrous qualifying campaign led to calls for a quota system to be introduced in the top flight.
But Desailly laid the blame for the failure squarely at the feet of former manager Steve McClaren, telling BBC Sport: "You have the answer, he failed.
"To say foreign players are the problem is a lie. You are lying to yourself."
Desailly played a key role in France's 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship victories and he explained: "We were successful because we had a combination of good players and a good manager.
"We had 17 top quality players, with great experience of the best leagues in Europe, and on top of that we had a manager clever enough to mould and train us, and play the right tactics.
"England have been unlucky, the management has not been very good and as a result they will not be at Euro 2008."
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However, the former France captain insists everything is already in place for England to be successful in the future - providing they pick the right man to succeed McClaren.
Current reports suggest former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho would listen to an offer from the Football Association and Desailly said: "I hope England go for an experienced, top quality coach.
"And if that coach is not English, I think it is crucial that they pick an Englishman alongside him as assistant.
"It is vital for the balance of the squad to have someone there who understands the English culture and who has a connection with the players.
"It is all already there for England. You have 30 top international players ready to perform all the time with good experience and you are one of the best leagues in the world. It's not because of foreign players that you didn't qualify."
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