by Didier Deschamps has gone public to reveal the contours of Karim Benzema’s controversial removal from the 2022 World Cup. In an interview with Le Parisien, the French coach guarantees that the Real Madrid striker was not physically fit to compete in the tournament.
Recall that Benzema arrived injured at the training camp, having played just 26 minutes against Celtic on November 2: “Karim joined on November 14. He was not, like Varane, fit to start 100% in the first game against Australia. When he was injured, our doctor took him to the Aspetar clinic for an MRI. Karim forwarded the results to a doctor in Madrid. When he returned to the hotel after midnight, he joined me with Karim and our doctor.’
“Our doctor’s diagnosis coincided with the doctor in Madrid. “He’s dead,” she told me. At best, he could only return to training on December 10. We were together for about 20 minutes. When I left him, I said, “Karim, there is no rush. You organize your return with the team manager.” When I woke up, I realized that he was already gone. It’s your decision, which I understand and respect,” explained the French coach.
Karim Benzema returned to action on December 15, for a friendly against Real Madrid: “He played 30 minutes in a training game. Do you think it is comparable to the intensity of a World Cup semi-final? Despite his talent and status, can you imagine his comeback at the last minute? Karim himself told me he won’t stand it.”
“No player was happy with Karim’s departure, they know that too. After the World Cup, I had a chat with Karim and asked him if he was available to come back. He confirmed to me his decision to end his international career. Don’t ask me what his arguments are, it’s up to him to explain it or not,” concluded Didier Deschamps.
Benzema responds on social media
Otherwise and on social media, Benzema reacted to this interview of the 54-year-old French technician and it was not sweet at all. Initially, the Real Madrid striker shared a picture of the interview and captioned it “what a coward”, with a clown emoji accompanying it.
But Karim did not stop there. In the post below, Benzema shared a famous video in which the phrase “liar, you’re a liar” is said several times. To leave no room for doubt, he added: “Saint Didier… good night.”
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