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France is going to be endless entertainment at this summer’s Euros. On top of its ludicrous list of stars, head coach Didier Deschamps has added a bountiful amount of spice with addition of Karim Benzema to the roster.
Benzema had been practically banished from playing for France after he was involved in a blackmail and sex-tape scandal with fellow countryman Mathieu Valbuena in 2015. The Real Madrid striker will face trial for the case later this year in October. At the time then-Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that Benzema had no place on the national team and was a bad example.
The bad blood between Benzema and Deschamps came to a boil when the striker claimed that Deschamps “bowed to the pressure of a racist part of France” for his decision to leave him out of the Euro 2016 squad.
Not long after Benzema made those comments, one of Deschamps’ homes was tagged with the word “racist.” As recent as summer 2020, Dechamps spoke about the incident five years ago saying the tagging of his house was “too far” and described it as “violent, inappropriate and unacceptable.”
It looked like Benzema wouldn’t ever play in the blue of France again, especially after he dissed fellow French striker Olivier Giroud. Benzema compared himself to the Chelsea striker with the analogy of a Formula One racecar to a go-kart. Ouch.
Then came the shocking moment on Tuesday when Deschamps announced that Benzema would feature in France’s 26-man roster for the upcoming European Championship.
Karim Benzema is back. He’s been included in Deschamps' French squad for the Euros. Official. #Benzema #Euro2020
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 18, 2021
Les Bleus qui partiront sur les routes de l’Europe ! #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/HfochGPPen
— Equipe de France (@equipedefrance) May 18, 2021
Deschamps said he and Benzema had a good conversation, but the public will never know a word mentioned in said conversation.
Deschamps on Benzema’s recall: “The most important is today & tomorrow. There were important steps. We saw each other. We discussed at length. I had a long reflection to come to this decision. I won’t reveal a word of the discussion, that concerns us. I needed it, he needed it ".
— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) May 18, 2021
On the field, Benzema has been one of the best strikers in the world this season. His performances took Real Madrid to the Champions League semifinals and in the hunt for a LaLiga title. He’s bagged 29 goals across all competitions with eight assists to boot. He’s a must-have striker for a roster.
An attack force with the likes of Benzema, Kylian Mbappé, Kingsley Coman and Antoine Griezmann already has France as the favorite for this summer.
France’s 26-Man Squad For Euro 2020
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Mike Maignan
Defenders: Raphaël Varane, Jules Koundé, Lucas Digne, Benjamin Pavard, Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Clément Lenglet, Kurt Zouma, Leo Dubois
Midfielders: Paul Pogba, Moussa Sissoko, N’golo Kanté, Adrien Rabiot, Corentin Tolisso
Forwards: Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Kingsley Coman, Thomas Lemar, Ousmane Dembélé, Wissam Ben Yedder, Marcus Thuram
My only request is that we get a France national team reality show with English subtitles. This could be the most drama on a national team ever since *checks notes* France’s 2010 World Cup disaster.
I shall call this new reality show Keeping Up With The Frenchdashians.
