Noël Le Graët says no to Benzema and Mbappé at the Olympics

Six years that French football has not seen Karim Benzema in the jersey of the French team, it was October 8, 2015 against Armenia (4-0).

The Real Madrid striker has become undesirable in the eyes of Didier Deschamps since the revelations of the affair with Matthieu Valbuena.

With the approach of the Olympic Games in Tokyo (July 23-August 8), the question of a potential return arises since Karim Benzema could join the French group, led by Sylvain Ripoll. 

Mbappé and Benzema at the Olympics: "We must not exaggerate"

Asked in the columns of France Info this Friday, the boss of French football Noël Le Graët put an end to all speculation around this idea.

The response of the President of the FFF was rather clear on this subject: "We must not exaggerate, we are not going to take Mbappé, Benzema and why not, bring back the France A team in place of those who are are qualified.

"If there is very little chance of seeing Benzema at the Olympics this summer, the 79-year-old French leader was more evasive when asked if the Madrid player could be selected with the A." He does not is not suspended ”recalls Le Graët. 

However, the gap of Karim Benzema far from the selection has never been unanimous in view of the sequence of good seasons with the current reigning Spanish champion.

Even Noël Le Graët recognizes his level this season: “When I see him play, I really enjoy it.

He is a man I appreciate, a player who is having a blast at Real.

It's not the same player anymore.

He had a completely exceptional season ”.

In the eyes of his coach at Merengue Zinédine Zidane, a return of Karim Benzema to Clairefontaine "would be very good news" according to his words at a press conference. 

Florentino Perez, president @realmadrid exclusively in @ europe1 Sport: “Karim Benzema is not in the France team and it's a huge mess.

I don't understand how we can deprive ourselves of one of the best players and number 9 in the world ”@ Benzema @ KDjaziri @ FFF

- Jean-François Pérès (@jfperes) January 31, 2021

Zidane and Michel campaign for a return of Benzema in Blues 

More recently, it was its president, Florentino Perez, who did not fail to mention “the immense waste” represented by a French team without Karim Benzema.

The former OL player can also count on another support, that of Michel Moulin.

The businessman is currently in the campaign to take the head of the French Football Federation (FFF) against .. Noël Le Graët.

When the debate returned to the table at the beginning of the year, Michel Moulin was categorical on this subject: “Deschamps is an employee of the Federation.

If above him, he is told to play Benzema, he must make him play, ”he said. 

Regarding Kylian Mbappé, the Parisian striker had expressed his desire to participate in the Olympics in December 2019, a few months before the event was postponed to 2021. An idea far from being validated by PSG, the club of the capital has let it be known that it will not let go of its striker for this competition.

The subject would therefore be closed, as much for Kylian Mbappé as Karim Benzema.

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