It appears that the relationship between Karim Benzema and Didier Deschamps is at stake once again. The current Ballon d’Or holder dropped out from the training camp due to injury on 20th November, just two days before France’s opening game against Australia. There has not been any discussion among the French staff again to bring him back.
Reports suggest the star striker hasn’t been in touch with the medical staff of Les Blues during this tenure. Benzema stayed on the list of 26 players that the FFF forwarded to FIFA. Deschamps could have given him a call after he recovered from his injury, but the coach didn’t do anything as such.
The coach could stay on without Benzema
If the France coach takes his contract forward, they would need to have a clear discussion to call back Benzema to the squad. It took place earlier before Euro 2020, when the two collided on the Cote d’Azur to filter out their differences over the sex tape scandal surrounding Mathieu Valbuena. They might be in need of a similar discussion right now.
This World isn’t the beginning of this conflict but a long time before when Benzema didn’t take his name in his Ballon d’or winning speech. Reports say that it surprised Deschamps.
He wanted to stay with the French camp
Benzema’s entourage wasn’t happy with the medical staff’s handling of his injury and specifically the session on 18th November, the day before he suffered the injury.
Benzema would be interested in staying in Doha to treat his injury and have a chance to appear in the World Cup. The national side didn’t name any replacement for him.
In a historic World Cup final, after a staggering 3-3 in the game including the extra time, Argentina defeated France in penalty shootout, confirming the team’s third World Championship and Messi’s first.
Read More: Argentina beats France in penalty shootout and lifts the FIFA World Cup