Karim Benzema held a press conference at Clairefontaine on Sunday, during which he thanked Didier Deschamps for calling him back.
"Super happy to be there, to come back to the France team, it's going very very well," he smiled.
While dodging delicate questions.
Back on Sunday in front of the media, more than five years after his last selection, Karim Benzema thanked Didier Deschamps for having reminded him, with humor and without stress, while avoiding the delicate questions: "It's the past, I am in the present."
"Beautiful game as I like"
"Stressed today? Not at all. Super happy to be there, to come back to the France team, it's going very very well. The adaptation is perfect, on the field there is a beautiful game as I like . In the group I already knew a lot of players, I met others. I am in a hurry to be able to start a match. We feel a very good group, calm, a group of world champion and vice European champion , they are winners. I have just started training, the level is very high, that's what I like. "
Deschamps or Benzema, who requested the other?
"It doesn't matter, who looked for what. The main thing is that we talked for a long time, we discussed football and not that, it went well. We discussed well between men. The most important is that today I'm in the squad, I'm super happy and what matters to me. My relationship with the coach? Coach-player. We get along really well. After that, start again 5 years ago (back ), I don't want to. It's the past, I'm in the present. "
Apologies for Deschamps?
"We talked about a lot, a lot of things. I am not here to repeat the discussions, they are private. The most important thing is that I will be able to replay in the France team. (...) I have never gave up. Of course I was very disappointed, morally it was hard but it's part of my career, there were a lot of obstacles. I fought a lot to one day hope to come back. "
"Disappointed" to be sidelined
"What disappointed me the most was not being selected for the World Cup. It's normal, I'm a player, I like the competition. But on the other hand I recovered in question, I worked a lot more and in the end I'm back in the France team. (…) Isn't that blaming France or the French? take only oneself. You have to look at yourself. What do I have to change? What do I have to do to come back? "
Reunion with Giroud
"I had already met him in the first leg against Chelsea (in the semi-final of the Champions League, nldr), there was nothing special. We discussed 5 minutes quietly. What is said is said, c 'is over. Now the most important, whether it is him or me: to help the France team to reach the highest. "
So, thank you Deschamps?
"I already said it, you want me to say it here? (He looks up at the cameras) Thank you Didier! We already had a discussion, it was said and that's how it is. and I'm super happy. And if I can add something: happy birthday mom, I love you. "