Having scored seven goals in two games without the suspended Karim Benzema, France could be forgiven for thinking the Real Madrid striker is not essential for the Euro finals.
France beat the Netherlands 3-2 away last Friday and Russia 4-2 at home on Tuesday with forwards Olivier Giroud, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Dimitri Payet, Kingsley Coman and Antoine Griezmann all finding the back of the net.
Benzema has been provisionally suspended by the French federation (FFF) after being put under formal investigation by a judge for alleged blackmail over a sex video involving France team mate Mathieu Valbuena.
FFF President Noel Le Graet said earlier this month a decision on whether his suspension would be lifted would be made before April 15.
Coach Didier Deschamps refused to discuss Benzema’s situation after the Russia game.
However, should Benzema’s suspension be lifted, Deschamps will have to choose whether he omits the 28-year-old when he unveils his squad for the June 10-July 10 Euro finals on May 12.
Benzema scored 27 goals from 81 caps but he has never lifted the team to the top. In his absence, Les Bleus have appeared to play faster, possibly because the Real Madrid star has a tendency to play too far back.
Against Russia, Gignac always played close to the box and was perfectly helped by Griezmann, who had a huge impact on the right flank.
“There is a life without Benzema,” former France fullback Bixente Lizarazu told RTL radio. “There are solutions, good solutions, and a lot of solutions. Deschamps’s got plenty to choose from.” Former France midfielder Luis Fernandez had a different point of view.
“With what he has been through, Benzema would be extremely grateful to Deschamps. He would be over motivated and he would be in the best conditions with players like Griezmann and Payet around him,” he said.
Fernandez also argued that the games at the Euro finals would be tighter and Benzema would be the best fit to break the deadlock.
“Who would you pick ahead of a regular starter for Real Madrid to scare your opponents?,” he said.
Aime Jacquet, however, omitted Manchester United’s Eric Cantona for the Euro 1996 finals. France reached the semi-finals before winning the World Cup on home soil two years later.
France take on Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A.
France discover there is a life without Benzema
Having scored seven goals in two games without the suspended Karim Benzema, France could be forgiven for thinking the Real Madrid striker is not essential for the Euro finals.
France beat the Netherlands 3-2 away last Friday and Russia 4-2 at home on Tuesday with forwards Olivier Giroud, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Dimitri Payet, Kingsley Coman and Antoine Griezmann all finding the back of the net.
Benzema has been provisionally suspended by the French federation (FFF) after being put under formal investigation by a judge for alleged blackmail over a sex video involving France team mate Mathieu Valbuena.
FFF President Noel Le Graet said earlier this month a decision on whether his suspension would be lifted would be made before April 15.
Coach Didier Deschamps refused to discuss Benzema’s situation after the Russia game.
However, should Benzema’s suspension be lifted, Deschamps will have to choose whether he omits the 28-year-old when he unveils his squad for the June 10-July 10 Euro finals on May 12.
Benzema scored 27 goals from 81 caps but he has never lifted the team to the top. In his absence, Les Bleus have appeared to play faster, possibly because the Real Madrid star has a tendency to play too far back.
Against Russia, Gignac always played close to the box and was perfectly helped by Griezmann, who had a huge impact on the right flank.
“There is a life without Benzema,” former France fullback Bixente Lizarazu told RTL radio. “There are solutions, good solutions, and a lot of solutions. Deschamps’s got plenty to choose from.” Former France midfielder Luis Fernandez had a different point of view.
“With what he has been through, Benzema would be extremely grateful to Deschamps. He would be over motivated and he would be in the best conditions with players like Griezmann and Payet around him,” he said.
Fernandez also argued that the games at the Euro finals would be tighter and Benzema would be the best fit to break the deadlock.
“Who would you pick ahead of a regular starter for Real Madrid to scare your opponents?,” he said.
Aime Jacquet, however, omitted Manchester United’s Eric Cantona for the Euro 1996 finals. France reached the semi-finals before winning the World Cup on home soil two years later.
France take on Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A.
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