Every day, the morning of Europe 1 looks back on one of the sporting events that make the news.
This Thursday, Virginie Phulpin looks back on the arrival of the Blues at Clairefontaine to prepare for the Euro football.
According to her, we must stop talking only about Karim Benzema for the good of the team.
The players of the French football team arrived at Clairefontaine on Wednesday to prepare for the Euro. Among them, obviously, Karim Benzema. We've only been talking about his comeback in blue for a week. And for Virginie Phulpin, now, we must stop, otherwise it will be harmful to the France team.
Has everyone in the country given their opinion on the return of Karim Benzema to the France team? From the moment we even heard some politicians explain that the attacker did not like France, we did more than deal with the issue. We never should have even heard that. Frankly, do you think he would be here today if he was? What makes him earn money is his club, Real Madrid, not the France team. He could have turned the page without damage, and he didn't. It's good that he wants to represent his country. So we can move on.
This Wednesday, it was again Karim Benzema who had the spotlight at Clairefontaine.
We improvised a fashion critic to detail his outfit, we deciphered his smile and his gestures to be sure that he was happy to be there.
It is normal, a similar return after 2058 days of absence.
You have to believe that it is important to draw small sticks on the walls to make an exact count.
It interests us all, or almost.
We're not going to deny it.
Now, if we could avoid trying to find out whether Karim Benzema opts for unsalted or salted butter for breakfast and draw haphazard conclusions, that would not be bad.
Because it will quickly become unhealthy.
Focusing only on Karim Benzema can also be a danger for the France team.
Football remains a team sport, and the Real Madrid striker is not going to win the Euro on his own.
There is a team that is preparing, it must be rethought a little, with Karim Benzema in its ranks.
And then there are also susceptibilities to be spared.
High level players, there are a few in the ranks of the Blues.
Karim Benzema said it, he doesn't want to overshadow them.
Fortunately.
We want to see them together.
It would be nice not to just focus on how Benzema is going to behave with others.
Especially if it is to watch for a possible error on his part.
We already know that any other result than a final victory for the France team would lead the vultures to designate Karim Benzema as sole responsible.
This is not how it works.
Les Bleus is a team. The striker is an additional asset, but he is not the absolute guarantee of winning a new trophy. No more, no less than the others. His return, Didier Deschamps said yesterday that it was a non-event. We are not going to exaggerate anything, but the coach is right. What matters now is the France team, nothing else.