Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines (France) (AFP)

Emmanuel Macron saw "the face of France" in the group of the Blues that he went to support Thursday at the Clairefontaine training center on the eve of the kickoff of Euro football, praising in particular Karim Benzema, a "model of success", back in selection.

During an interview on BFMTV, broadcast after the lunch he shared with the selection of Didier Deschamps, the Head of State argued that "sport can contribute to these moments of national union that we must after collectively transform into something else ".

"This French team is proof of that: we are proud of a team where the players have family origins, have geographical origins, have very different personal trajectories, have very different family histories, where the skin colors are all present, "he continued, recognizing" the face of France ".

"Whatever the first names and last names, these young people, today they are men (who) represent France, it is our face, it is our pride, and that all those who do not like them consider that they don't like a part of France "

While he had urged the players to go "to the end" of the competition when he arrived at Clairefontaine, Emmanuel Macron then explained that he "aspired for our country to ambition and benevolence, together : both are to be done at the same time ".

After evoking his admiration for Kylian Mbappé, N'Golo Kanté or Hugo Lloris, the President of the Republic has long defended the choice of Didier Deschamps to select Karim Benzema, according to him the "illustration of a very good intelligence on both sides. else".

"Karim Benzema has gained in sporting and personal maturity, we can feel it, he is someone much more serene, fulfilled. I only aspire to one thing, and that is that he is now writing the page of 'immense player that he is in the France team ", developed Emmanuel Macron, considering that there is" never anything unacceptable when you make efforts to come back ".

"It goes beyond sport, it was expected by many young and old: in France, (Karim Benzema) is one of these models," said the head of state, for whom the star of Real Madrid "represents something".

"I think that for many young people also with an immigrant background, Karim Benzema is a model of success," he added.

© 2021 AFP