Scandal threatened to consume the remainder of Karim Benzema’s international career before his surprise call-up to France’s Euro 2020 squad.
The Real Madrid striker has been named in Didier Deschamps’ 26-man list for this summer’s tournament, bringing an end to a six-year exile from Les Bleus.
In 2015, Benzema was arrested for the alleged blackmail of Mathieu Valbuena. It was claimed Benzema had paid others to try and extort money from his teammate by threatening to release a sex tape.
While the Madrid forward has consistently denied the accusations, in January of this year prosecutors confirmed he will stand trial.
The long-running saga meant the 33-year-old missed out on Euro 2016, in which France reached the final but lost to Portugal, and their triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign.
His relationship with Deschamps was seemingly at a point of no return. Benzema, who is of Algerian descent, accused the manager of conceding to racist pressure to drop him. Graffiti was subsequently dubbed on Deschamps’ home calling him a racist.
In an interview with RTL in January he said: “Even if with time it calms down a bit, I can’t forget. It’s not just about Karim Benzema. There are statements by other people too that have led to this violent act, which affects my family.”
Benzema, who scored 27 goals for his country before being disregarded, was also heavily criticised in the public sphere, with former French President Francois Hollande writing in his book that the player was “morally, not an example”.
Why is he back in the France squad?
Deschamps was coy on his shock decision to recall Benzema, though he did hint it may not have been entirely his decision by insisting: “The France team does not belong to me, even if I am well aware that the responsibility that I have is important, by the choices that I have to make.”
He added: “Why now? I don’t have the capacity, nobody has, to go back and change anything. The most important is today and tomorrow.
“There were important steps. A very important one. We saw each other. We discussed it at length. After that, I had a long reflection to come to this decision today.
“I will not reveal a word of the discussion, that concerns us both. I needed it, he needed it I have already been confronted with difficult situations, I have always ignored my personal case.”
A space has opened up due to Anthony Martial’s injury, the Manchester United forward having suffered a knee sprain during March’s international break. He has not been included in the Euro 2020 squad – though Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram is seen as the more like-for-like replacement.
France’s need for Benzema has been mitigated in recent years by the emergence of Kylian Mbappe, who made his senior debut in 2017.
However, his own form for Real Madrid has become impossible to ignore. In each of the last three seasons, he has now surpassed the 20+ goal mark, filling the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. He is their top scorer with 30 goals in 2020-21; for perspective, the player closest behind him is Casemiro, who scored seven times.
During Benzema’s years in the wilderness, Deschamps had typically preferred Olivier Giroud, even when he was not a regular starter at Arsenal or Chelsea. Nevertheless, he insists he can accommodate both strikers at the European Championship, which begins in June.
“There is always competition,” he added. “You quote Giroud and Benzema, but for more than three years they were together. By making this choice, it is for the good of the France team, as it always does.
“The France team is supposed to be better with Karim Benzema, but not at all by eliminating Olivier Giroud. Do not forget, however, that for years the French team has obtained very good results: vice-champion of Europe, world champion.”
Deschamps has made other difficult calls too, leaving out Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele. Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte has switched allegiance to Spain following his struggles to make a breakthrough into the France set-up. Sevilla’s Jules Kounde receives his first call-up.
France squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham, Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Mike Maignan (Lille)
Defenders: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Leo Dubois (France), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Lucas Digne (Everton), Clement Lenglet (Barcelona), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)
Midfielders: N’golo Kante (Chelsea), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint-Germain), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham)
Attackers: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain, Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona).
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3f2HwfS
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