Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has finally been recalled back into the France squad after several years of omission.
Benzema was included in France’s 26-man squad list for this summer’s Euro 2020, earning a recall for the first time in six years.
He has not featured for Les Bleus since 2015 because of his involvement in a sex-tape dispute with former team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.
Benzema was accused of trying to extort money from Valbuena ahead of a friendly against Armenia five years ago, allegations which he still denies.
Since then, despite excelling with Real Madrid and meriting a call up, Benzema has been placed on an indefinite suspension by the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Noel Le Graet who alleged that his “adventure with France is over”.
After the President’s statement, Benzema went on a furious Twitter rant where he asked to be allowed to represent another country.
“Noel, I thought that you did not interfere with the decisions of the national team coach!” the forward wrote on Twitter in 2019.
“Know that it will be me and me alone who decides when my international career is over.
“If you think that I am finished, let me play for a country that I am eligible to play for and we will see.”
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Despite his threats, Benzema is currently only eligible to play for France because according to FIFA rules, he has played competitively at senior level for Les Bleus and is hence cup-tied.
“There were important steps. A very important one. We saw each other. We discussed it at length. After that, I had a long reflection to come to this decision today,” France coach Didier Deschamps said about Benzema’s recall.
“I will not reveal a word of the discussion, that concerns us both. I needed it, he needed it I have already been confronted with difficult situations, I have always ignored my personal case.
“The France team does not belong to me, even if I am well aware that the responsibility that I have is important, by the choices that I have to make.”
Benzema has 81 international caps to his name scoring 27 goals. He’s probably in the form of his life having scored at least 20 league goals in each of the last three seasons with Real Madrid, taking his total to 278 goals in 558 games for the club.
complete France squad list
GOALKEEPERS
Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Mike Maignan
DEFENDERS
Leo Dubois, Benjamin Pavard, Kurt Zouma, Jules Koundé, Raphael Varane, Clement Lenglet, Prisnel Kimpembe, Lucas Digne, Lucas Hernandez
MIDFIELDERS
N’Golo Kante, Paul Pogba, Adrien Rabiot, Corentin Tolisso, Moussa Sissoko
FORWARDS
Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Thuram, Kingsley Coman, Wissam Ben Yedder, Antoine Griezmann, Thomas Lemar, Ousmane Dembele
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