France midfielder Robert Pires has been fined €50,000 for infringing national team sponsorship rules and agreed to pay the money into a tsunami aid fund.

“Pires has been punished for not respecting the contract with the national team’s sponsor Adidas. He will have to pay a fine of 50,000 euros,” French Football Federation vice-chairman Gerard Enault said.

“In agreement with Robert Pires, the money will go to an aid group set up by the French ministry of sports to help the countries hit by the Asian tsunami,” Enault added.

Pires was summoned by the FFF on November 18 to explain why he appeared in a sweater with a rival logo during a television show on October 10 when he was representing the national team.

“I told them I was sorry and I apologised,” he said at the end of the hearing. “I can understand they (Adidas) were upset and I won’t do it again.”

Pires was omitted from the national team after criticising national coach Raymond Domenech in an interview.