Regularly as a watchmaker, Benzema's ghost reappears in the French national team, which without its brightest striker has proclaimed itself world champion, but has failed to prevent the shadow of the Real Madrid player from pursuing her.

Every time the announcement of a great competition is coming or that the calendar celebrates the anniversary of the imputation of Karim Benzema , his case returns to the front pages of the newspapers. And he always does it against the Real Madrid player, who sees how despite his great performance with the white shirt, his options to re-dress the "bleu" fade.

"Your adventure with France is over"

The last encounter he had this weekend with the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Noël Le Graët , who closed the door of the national team to Benzema. "He is one of the best in his position. But his adventure with France is over," Le Graët said in statements to 'RMC'.

Benzema's response did not wait on Twitter: "I thought it would not interfere in the coach's decisions. You know that I, and only me, will end my international career. If you think I'm finished, let me play for a country where it would be selectable and we'll see. "

Benzema, of Algerian origin, thus opened the door to play with the North African team, although the FIFA regulations prevent a player who has played official competition with one team from another. The Real Madrid player has dressed the bleu 81 times. A little over a year ago, when the third anniversary of the imputation of Benzema in the "Valbuena case" was approaching, the attempted blackmail of his selection partner with a sex video, Le Graët had already alluded to the end of the international career of the soccer player.

But then, with a France that had just proclaimed itself world champion, it was less sharp and, above all, the player's performance was not so bright.

Giroud, the striker of France, does not play with his club

Benzema accumulates 11 goals in the 15 games played with Real Madrid. The coach, Didier Deschamps , maintains his confidence in Olivier Giroud , 33, although he hardly counts for Frank Lampard at Chelsea. "For me, he is the best, then he has a place in the French national team, that is clear," said his coach at Madrid, Zinedine Zidane.

Griezmann celebrates a goal with Giroud.FRANCK FIFE

Deschamps has found, however, in Giroud a piece for his scheme and the striker pays it with goals: with 39 goals he is the third historical scorer of the team, two of Michel Platini and 12 of Thierry Henry .

Benzema's watch, which since the end of 2015 has not returned with the national team, stopped with 27 goals, and has seen how Antoine Griezmann has overcome him, who is already 30 and has been designated by Deschamps as the leader of the group.

"By discarding Benzema, I have made Griezmann grow," says the coach, according to the newspaper 'Libération'. The coach, prudent, assures every time he is asked that Benzema's absence is due to sports reasons.

Open wounds

But, at the same time, it does not hide that it still bleeds from the wounds that opened in this case. Deschamps lived it in his own flesh in June 2016 his house in Brittany dawned with a graffiti that read "racist."

It was shortly after announcing the list of summoned for the Eurocup of France , in which the Madrid player was not, who visibly upset accused Deschamps of "having yielded to the pressure of a racist part of France".

Those who know the coach say that at that time all the links were broken. Benzema, whom he had systematically summoned even when he chained more than 1,200 minutes without marking the national team, imposed a total ban on him, which he has never given explanations.

Le Graët, shield of Deschamps

Didier Deschamps.FRANCK FIFE

The coach is placed in the background and the one who comes to the front is the president of the FFF. He did it at first, when he decreed the exclusion of the player while the investigation lasted.

Then, when he lifted the veto, Le Graët has dedicated himself to position himself as the parapet of his coach, even if that makes him face the player and his support.

Even Zidane, who has been on the FFF agenda up to three times to occupy the French bench: in July 2012, when Laurent Blanc was looking for a substitute and Deschamps was finally chosen; in November 2013, when France was on the verge of not qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil; and in July 2018, when Deschamps was saved after winning the World Cup in Russia.

The current coach refuses to put an expiration date on his way through the bench 'bleu' and does not rule out extending his contract that ends after the next Eurocup. If the relay finally occurs, Zizou will once again be the favorite to replace him and, then, the international withdrawal of Benzema decreed by Le Graët will attend his periodic appointment today.

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