Vairelles sees appeal rejected

Vairelles and his siblings - Giovan, Jimmy and Fabrice - have been in prison since the end of October after being charged with attempted murder over a shooting at a nightclub. They deny the charges.

The four men had made two previous pleas to be freed, both of which were also rejected.

"We've had enough of it, we're being dragged through the mud," said their father, Guy, after Wednesday's hearing.

"(The judge) is only looking at the statements from the bouncers, not the anomalies in the case."

Three bouncers were injured after the shooting, which took place outside a nightclub on the outskirts of the eastern French city of Nancy.

According to police, Jimmy, 20, and Giovan, 30, were thrown out of the venue in Essey-les-Nancy after an altercation but later returned with 38-year-old Tony and Fabrice, 40.

They reportedly attacked the bouncers using a baseball bat and a metal chain, before shots were fired.

Vairelles was born in Nancy, and went on to star for local side AS Nancy, before notable spells with both Lens and Lyon.

He won the French title with Lens in 1998 and with Lyon in 2003, and won eight caps for France.

Vairelles later became the majority shareholder at third-tier club Gueugnon, which went into liquidation earlier this year.