Some French players were happy after Karim Benzema was sent home from the World Cup.
Karim Benzema and France have been at odds over the past few weeks, particularly after the striker was abruptly brought home from Qatar due to a minor ailment. To put an end to the tale, the striker now appears to have severed all relations with the group.
Less than 24 hours after the team’s heartbreaking loss to Argentina in the World Cup final, Benzema announced his retirement from the French National Team. Regarding the tensions between the parties, a lot of theories have surfaced, and Romain Molina has provided some important information on the subject.
According to the writer, Karim Benzema’s withdrawal from the National Team camp prior to the World Cup pleased Antoine Griezmann and Hugo Lloris. Both players welcomed the striker’s return even though they had first opposed it.
The superstars from Atletico Madrid and Tottenham believed they were in charge of the France team and were dissatisfied to see Benzema on the roster.
After missing the 2018 World Cup due to his expulsion from the team, the Ballon d’Or winner worked hard to rejoin the National Team for the World Cup.
Additionally, he skipped Real Madrid’s final two preparation weeks in an effort to recover from his muscular injury.
Benzema appeared to have recovered just in time, but the coach sent him home when he sustained a serious injury during a training session. He bounced back in less than two weeks, and it was understandable that he felt left out of Deschamps’ plans without a full assessment of his condition.
Benzema took a direct shot at the National Team setup and management while also announcing his retirement by declaring that he had given it his all.
“I worked hard and made the necessary mistakes to get where I am now, and I’m proud of it! Our tale ends, and mine was written.
In the meantime, Antoine Griezmann excelled throughout the tournament and clearly benefited from Benzema’s absence since he had no direct rival. In an unprecedented stretch of seven games, he contributed three assists.