Didier Deschamps has been France’s national coach since 2012, but it is still unclear whether he will continue after losing the World Cup final against Argentina.Image: www.imago-images.de / Ulmer/Teamfoto
World Cup 2022
Karim Benzema and the French national team have actually been a closed chapter for a little over a week. After the “Équipe Tricolore” lost the World Cup final against Argentina, the striker and current world footballer of Real Madrid announced his retirement from the national team. The 35-year-old had not even played for France at the World Cup.
Benzema injured his thigh before the start of the tournament and left Qatar to recover in Madrid. As coach Didier Deschamps’ France team progressed to the final, rumors arose that Benzema could return to the team now that he has recovered from his injury. However, that didn’t happen.
Following the lost final, there were repeated reports that the relationship between Benzema and Deschamps had broken down and that the right-footed player was therefore not returning to Qatar. However, things are still not settled between Benzema and the officials of the French team.
Consultant publishes explosive medical report
Because: Benzema’s advisor, Karim Djaziri, now joined the discussion. The players’ agent published an investigation report into Benzema’s muscle injury on Twitter. Djaziri wrote: “I’m posting this but before that I consulted 3 specialists who confirmed the diagnosis that Benzema was fit enough to sit on the bench from the round of 16.”
Afterwards, Djaziri added: “Why was he asked to leave so soon?” Djaziri is therefore certain that Benzema would have managed to help the French team at the finals and knockout rounds in Qatar. The striker even appeared in a friendly for Madrid three days before the final, playing 30 minutes against Leganés.
However, the published investigation report is not Djaziri’s only criticism. He had already approached France’s assistant coach Guy Stéphan, who kept a kind of World Cup diary for the French TV broadcaster RMC Sport, in which he also described what happened with Benzema and his injury.
Djaziri fired at Stéphan: “It’s Doctor Le Gall’s log that needs to be published… Waiting two or three days to confirm the diagnosis is professional misconduct or worse on his part!” Doctor Le Gall is the team doctor of the French national team, who, at least according to Djaziri, is said to have been wrong with his diagnosis.
It was the World Cup final where really anything could have happened. While Lionel Messi finally crowned himself with the long-awaited World Cup after 17 years of hard work with the national team, the French team, headed by Didier Deschamps, were bent on defending their title.
