Manchester United Patrice Evra was asked to explain his side following his controversial comments on 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu and three other pundits on French TV, ESPN FC reported on Sunday.

Evra, who has been a longtime mainstay for the French National Football team, was asked by the French Football Federation to the reason behind his verbal attack on Lizarazu and company.

"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," FFF said in their official statement.

The 32-year old Evra said he had to settle some issues with these pundits, whom he called tramps.

"There are some pundits with whom I will settle my differences... they want to sell a lie to the French people that Evra is disliked. But that is not the case at all," he said following France's 4-2 victory against Finland.

Evra said he doesn't know why Lizarazu kept on criticizing him, adding that the former national team defender doesn't even have the credentials to castigate him.

"I do not know what Lizarazu has against me. I was twice voted best left-back in the world. Him, I don't even know if he was ever voted best left-back in the world," Evra told ESPN FC.

"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."

Lizarazu quickly responded to Evra's comments, saying he was also once voted the vest left back in the world. He added that Evra alone did a great job tainting his image.

"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," said Lizarazu, who made it to the UEFA Team of the Year in 2001.