It’s the big day for Didier Deschamps: the coach of the Blues unveiled his list of players for the Euro (which will be held from June 11 to July 11) during a live interview, Tuesday, May 18, on TF1 and M6, the two tricolor broadcasters of the tournament.
The “Hard core”, dear to the coach of the reigning world champions and vice-European champions, will include, around goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris, the regulars Benjamin Pavard, Raphaël Varane, Lucas Hernandez, N’Golo Kanté, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann.
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Didier Deschamps: “We discussed at length”
But the big surprise comes from the presence of Karim Benzema in this list. The Real Madrid striker, who is coming out of a very good season in Spain under the leadership of Zinédine Zidane, had not been called up to the France team since 2015 and the “sextape” affair.
Suspected of having participated in an attempt to blackmail his former teammate with the Blues Mathieu Valbuena, the player trained in Lyon will be tried by the court of Versailles from October 20 to 22. Before Euro 2016, his sidelining had been justified by “The exemplarity and preservation of the group” in a press release signed by Didier Deschamps and the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Noël Le Graët.
Karim Benzema then declared that Didier Deschamps had “Yielded under the pressure of a racist part of France”. A sentence that particularly touched the coach, whose house in Brittany was then tagged with the word “racist”. Since this episode and until this evening, Mr. Deschamps had always refused to recall the attacker.
The page is now turned. “To arrive at this decision, there were steps. We saw each other, we talked for a long time, explained the coach after the announcement of his list. I don’t want to make special cases. I have always ignored my personal case, the France team does not belong to me, it is above everything. ” Even without the list expanded to 26 players, against 23 usually, the Madrilenian would have been on the trip, according to Deschamps: “I would have taken three more, but I didn’t even think about it. “
Karim Benzema “so proud”
The player said to himself “So proud of this return to the France team and of the trust that I am given” sure his Twitter account. “Thank you to my family, my friends, my club, to you and to all those who have always supported me and give me strength on a daily basis”, completed the Real Madrid striker.
So proud of this return to the France team and the trust that I am given. Thanks to my family, my friends… https://t.co/fzqnuFtVPB
Five years after his sidelining, his return is “An excellent decision”, greeted Tuesday the president of the FFF, who wants to believe that the center forward will bring ” his talent “ at the Euro this summer. “If the return to the group of Karim Benzema may have surprised some, he is delighted. I think it’s an excellent decision, given his talent and his remarkable performances over the past few months ”, said the leader in a statement posted on the FFF website.
Karim Benzema, author of a successful season with Real Madrid (29 goals in 45 games), has 81 selections and 27 goals with the Blues. During his last selection, on October 8, 2015 in Nice, he scored a brace against Armenia (4-0). Wink of history, it is precisely on the Riviera that the Blues go on June 2 to challenge the Welsh in preparation for the Euro. The return of “KB9” comes to strengthen the ranks of the world champions and vice-champions of Europe, facing in this Euro a very tough first round against Germany, Portugal and Hungary.
Olivier Giroud will have to “cohabit” with Karim Benzema
With fifteen representatives, the world champions are present in force around captain Hugo Lloris. Olivier Giroud, second top scorer in the history of the Blues (44 goals in 107 games), is also in the running for a fifth major competition, despite playing time almost reduced to zero with Chelsea.
It remains to be seen how the reunion will be with Benzema who recently assimilated it to a “karting”, comparing itself for its part to an “F1”. On their cohabitation, “I have no worries, Karim is not stupid”, said Deschamps. “He knows that he comes to a group that has a background, benchmarks, titles, where there is a good atmosphere. “
On the political side, several elected officials welcomed the recall of the Real Madrid striker to the Blues. “Deserved return of Karim @Benzema in the French team” who is “Worthy of wearing the tricolor tunic”, said the deputy La République en Marche (LRM) Sacha Houlié. ” Which team ! Not much sunshine at the moment not to say this happiness ”, underlined the deputy of rebellious France Eric Coquerel.
The former Minister of Justice and Mayor (Les Républicains) of the VIIe Parisian district Rachida Dati said “Happy with his long-awaited return to the French team”, pointing out that it is “Always very committed to children in difficulty”.
Some elected officials of the left and LRM have castigated the words “Racist” the senator of the National Rally of Marseille, Stéphane Ravier, who described the player as “French on paper”.
Final list on June 1
In Clairefontaine, where the majority of the selected are expected on May 26, the family photo will also include Lucas Digne, Clément Lenglet, Wissam Ben Yedder, Kingsley Coman or Ousmane Dembélé. But not the gifted Eduardo Camavinga (18) nor Anthony Martial, disturbed by “Physical worries” in the run-up to this major European meeting where the France of the very pragmatic Deschamps still hopes to shine.
If the media intervention of Didier Deschamps was eagerly awaited, the final list will not be sent until the 1er June, deadline set by UEFA. The national championships are not over and some internationals could play the finals of the Europa League (Villarreal – Manchester United) and the Champions League (Manchester City – Chelsea), on May 26 and 29.
The complete list:
Guardians: Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Mike Maignan;
Defenders: Benjamin Pavard, Léo Dubois, Raphaël Varane, Kurt Zouma, Presnel Kimpembe, Clément Lenglet, Lucas Hernandez, Lucas Digne, Jules Koundé;
Environments : N’Golo Kanté, Paul Pogba, Adrien Rabiot, Corentin Tolisso, Moussa Sissoko, Thomas Lemar;
Attackers: Marcus Thuram, Kingsley Coman, Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Karim Benzema, Wissam Ben Yedder, Ousmane Dembélé.
The schedule for the preparation camp and the first round for Euro 2021
Coach Didier Deschamps, who announced his list for Euro football on Tuesday, May 18, will find most of his Blues on Wednesday, May 26, about three weeks before the first match of the group stage. Here is the schedule:
– May 26: start of the gathering at Clairefontaine. The Blues qualified for the Europa League final (Villarreal-Manchester United), scheduled for May 26 in Gdansk, Poland, and for the Champions League final (Manchester City-Chelsea), on May 29 in Porto, will arrive later. .
– 1er June: deadline set by UEFA for transmitting the list of players summoned for the European Championship.
– June 2 (9:05 p.m.): first warm-up match, against Wales, in Nice.
– June 8 (9:10 p.m.): second preparation match, against Bulgaria, in Saint-Denis.
– June 14: Departure for Munich on the eve of Germany-France.
– June 15 (9 p.m.): first match of the group stage at the Euro, against Germany, in Munich.
– June 16: departure for Hungary.
– June 19 (3 p.m.): second match of the group stage at Euro, against Hungary, in Budapest.
– June 23 (9 p.m.): third match of the group stage at the Euro, against Portugal, in Budapest.
– June 27, 28 or 29: in the event of qualification, the Blues will play the round of 16 of the Euro on one of these three dates, according to their classification at the end of the group stage.
