First details of rift between Karim Benzema and Didier Deschamps emerge
Karim Benzema’s France career has included 97 caps and 37 goals but it will be remembered for drama.
After he was dropped from the national setup in 2015 for helping to blackmail his teammate Mathieu Valbuena, Didier Deschamps opened the door to a glorious return in 2021.
Things did not go to plan for Benzema at the Euros last summer, as Switzerland knocked Les Bleus out on penalties. However he was set to lead the line for France at the World Cup until Benzema was struck down a by a tragic injury.
Having struggled with injury all season, another muscle issue ruled Benzema out and he left the squad days later. The day after the tournament, Benzema announced his international retirement with an enigmatic message on his social media.
Speaking on Cadena SER, via Diario AS, Anton Meana explained the reaction to the decision in France.
“L’Equipe and Le Parisien say that it is a message that deserved more clarity. I have reviewed the press in France and there are not too many tears for Benzema. They remember his career, they speak well of Benzema but there has been more sadness in Spain because Busquets is retiring.”
“RMC affirm that it is necessary to know what happened in Qatar. As a player who played so hard for Ballon d’Or Madrid, he has never been able to express himself well in the French national team. And the closest thing to a credible version when you ask in France is that Benzema did not tell Deschamps the truth.”
Thereafter, he revealed what may well be the cause of his departure from the French squad, his seemingly frosty relations and perhaps his retirement too, if Deschamps continues.
“That he wasn’t as well physically as he tried to pretend. That the FFF sees him in training, sees that he is not well and Deschamps feels a somewhat betrayed. That’s why he sends you home. We have read a story in L’Equipe during the World Cup that the team was happier without Benzema, that the atmosphere was better. The truth is that the medical report that Real Madrid receives from the FFF does not seem serious enough for a player to return home. France sends him back and does not contemplate his return to Doha at any time, something that Benzema would have been willing to do. What’s more, his camp says that he would have recovered in time for game 2 or 3, without returning to Madrid. Benzema privately commented that he was staying in Doha and they gave him a one-way ticket. Deschamps intends to continue with France until 2026.”
It brings to an end a frustrating end to his international career, which could have been so much brighter. That said, all of these issues were of his own causing, even if some may feel Deschamps was overly harsh with him.
