The data confirms that France coach Didier Deschamps will not summon his compatriot Karim Benzema, Real Madrid's top scorer, again to the "roosters" list, but the controversy that occurs at each period of international matches is getting more intense, especially as we are on the verge of the 2021 European Championship.
The 33-year-old French star of Algerian roots has not appeared with the world champions since 2015, following the "sex tape" scandal, which was said to have leaked it to his colleague Matteo Valbuena.
Benzema did not do much to improve the relationship with Deschamps, but only made matters worse when he criticized him in an interview in the summer of 2016, in which he said that the coach submitted to racist pressure when he did not summon him in the European Nations Cup the same year.
And if you are Zinedine Zidane or a Real Madrid fan, the decision not to summon Benzema to the national team is surprising and incomprehensible due to his recent brilliance, and even those who vehemently opposed his return now soften their position.
And if Benzema is being punished for "moral standing," what is his punishment and when does it end?
Benzema has not worn the shirt for his country for nearly 6 years, is that not enough?
And while opinion polls have consistently sided with the French Football Federation, Benzema's form and his prolific goal-scoring record over the past period have changed that.
"I don’t blame Deschamps for what happened, but I simply say that forgiveness is part of our society and one of the man’s qualities .. I think that despite all the hardships he was able to endure, tolerance might make Deschamps better and reflect positively on the national team," says former player Jean-Michel Lark. .
The French newspaper Le Figaro conducted an opinion poll that included more than 30,000 people, with the result that 55% of them believed that Benzema should not play for France again, and this refusal decreased sharply after the result of a previous poll indicated that about 80 % Reject Benzema's return.
France Football magazine increased the pressure on Deschamps by naming Benzema as the best French player in 2020, and given the level of the French players in 2021, only Paris Saint-Germain's Klian Mbappe was able to stop the Los Blancos striker from winning the award. one more time.
Regardless of the "Valbuena" case, Deschamps believes that his accusation of racism was the drop that poured the cup.
Deschamps said - in a previous interview - that it is "a scar ... even if the matter is forgotten a little over time, I cannot forget it ... This is not only related to Benzema, but there were statements from other people that led to acts of violence that affected my family, here it was bypassed." The red line, for me that was unacceptable, I can't forget it, I'll never forget it. "