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» Benzema accuses Deschamps of bowing to racial pressure
PARIS — Karim Benzema has accused Didier Deschamps of
giving in to pressure from racists when the France coach decided not to
include him in the squad for the European Championship.
In an interview with Spanish sports newspaper Marca published
Wednesday, Benzema said he does not believe that Deschamps is a racist,
but that he "bowed to the pressure of a racist part of France."
Deschamps has been a long-time supporter of Benzema, who has been
suspended from the national team because of his involvement in an
extortion scam over a sex tape involving France teammate Mathieu
Valbuena.
"I would have liked to play for my country, but unfortunately that's
impossible," said Benzema, who is of Algerian descent. "Missing the 2010
World Cup in South Africa was a setback, but the European Championship
at home is even harder. This is one of the biggest disappointments I
have had, without a doubt."
This latest off-the-field controversy is unlikely to improve
Benzema's already tarnished image in his own country. France's junior
minister for sports, Thierry Braillard, said on Twitter that Benzema's
statement is "unjustified and unacceptable. Total support to FFF (French
football federation) and Didier Deschamps."
Benzema's comments echoed those of former France international Eric
Cantona, who said last week that Deschamps might have left out Benzema
and Nice winger Hatem Ben Arfa on racial grounds.
Ben Arfa — whose father is a former Tunisia international — scored 17
goals in 33 French league matches this season but was not selected in
Deschamps' group of players for the tournament starting in France on
June 10.
Deschamps had many offensive options at his disposal and picked six
attacking players, including Antoine Griezmann, Dimitri Payet, Anthony
Martial, Kingsley Coman, Olivier Giroud and Andre-Pierre Gignac.
"Benzema is a great player. Ben Arfa is a great player," Cantona told
the Guardian newspaper. "But Deschamps, he has a really French name.
Maybe he is the only one in France to have a truly French name. Nobody
in his family mixed with anybody, you know. Like the Mormons in America.
So I'm not surprised he used the situation of Benzema not to take him.
And Ben Arfa is maybe the best player in France today. But they have
some origins. I am allowed to think about that."
Deschamps' lawyer said he will sue Cantona for his comments.
Benzema, who won the Champions League with Real Madrid last week,
said the political context in France, where the far right has been
gaining political support over the past five years, played against him.
France's far right, anti-immigrant National Front is increasingly
popular under leader Marine Le Pen, who has brought it toward the
political mainstream — and who is expected to make it into the
presidential election runoff next year. The party was the top
vote-getter in regional and European elections last year, but
manoeuvring by traditional parties kept it from winning any
governorships, and may keep Le Pen from the presidency.
In addition to its core anti-immigration message, the party rails
against what it calls the "Islamization" of France and wants France out
of the euro and the European Union — though one of its major pulpits is
the European Parliament, where it's part of a far right bloc.
"You have to know that in France the extremist party reached the second round in the last two elections," Benzema said.
Earlier this year, French football federation president Noel Le Graet
spoke of his shock at the amount of racist hate mail he received
telling him not to select Benzema.
Speaking to reporters from Austria, where the France squad is
preparing for Euro 2016, Le Graet insisted Benzema has not been
suspended for life.
"We'll do without him during Euro 2016, then we'll see," Le Graet
said. "I like him and I did not change my mind. He got a bit carried
away, I'd rather he were a bit more friendly, but I won't make further
comment on the issue."
Benzema, who has 27 goals in 81 international matches, also missed
the 2010 World Cup. Former France coach Raymond Domenech left him out of
his squad in the wake of another scandal, when Benzema and teammate
Franck Ribery were handed preliminary charges for soliciting an underage
prostitute. Both were acquitted.
"France is going to realize that it has been unfair to me," Benzema said.
CREDIT TO:http://euro2016.tsn.ca/news/benzema-accuses-deschamps-bowing-racial-pressure
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