The hypothesis took shape on Monday.
It was strengthened in the early evening to the point of appearing, this Tuesday, as an almost certainty.
According to our information, Karim Benzema should appear, this evening, among the 26 players summoned by Didier Deschamps for the Euro (June 11-July 11).
More than five years after his last appearance in the selection, the Real Madrid player, 33, will therefore, indeed, renew the thread of his international history.
The latter had relaxed in the fall of 2015, when the sex-tape affair was revealed. It had then appeared, at least until today, to break definitively in June 2016, the day after the player's statements to the coach. In the eyes of the latter, the Madrilenian had crossed a red line by declaring that he had "yielded under the pressure of a racist part of France" at the time of his non-selection at the Euro. All the more so when his house in Concarneau had subsequently been tagged with the word “racist”.
Time is the cure for everything.
And the time for “forgiveness” has arrived.
Meeting this Tuesday with his staff at the headquarters of the FFF, the boss of the Blues will carry out the last arbitrations and undoubtedly record the reinstatement of the best French striker of the season (29 goals and 8 assists in all competitions).
At first glance, this decision has something to challenge as we have imagined the positions of the two irreconcilable men.
It was, however, to forget a fundamental and undoubtedly determining element in the thawing of relations and the return to favor of Benzema.
His duet with Mbappé promises
Deschamps' mandate, which began in August 2012, is punctuated by a few episodes presenting, more or less, similarities with it. On several occasions, the captain of the 1998 world champions had been able to disregard his stormy relations with certain players (Ben Arfa, Gignac, or Rabiot) to recall them to the French team. In his approach, Deschamps has never deviated from his line of conduct by constantly emphasizing the notion of collective and the best interests of the France team. According to him, recalling Benzema is now opportune from a strict sporting point of view and does not present, in any way whatsoever, any risk for the balance and harmony of the France group.
Deschamps had not acted differently at the end of August 2020 by reaching out to Adrien Rabiot who had, however, self-excluded from the France group in May 2018 by refusing to appear in the list of reservists in sight of the Russian World Cup. "I do not like to take radical positions", then justified Deschamps when commenting on the recall of the former Parisian. Nine months later, the Juventus Turin player reunites unanimity on his name in selection to the point of claiming a starting place during the European Championship. His attitude and his involvement at each gathering are appreciated by all.
France will therefore advance equipped with an additional offensive weapon with Karim Benzema (81 caps, 27 goals) in its ranks. And already all the lovers of the Blues salivate, in advance, of his future association with Kylian Mbappé. Opponents in clubs, in winter 2018, then in autumn 2019, the two men speak a common language on the pitch: that of talent.