Deschamps clears Benzema for France's sake

Didier Deschamps has called up Karim Benzema for next summer's UEFA Euro 2021. The white striker returns to a France squad after being sidelined for the Valbuena case on December 11, 2015. A sordid incident in which an organisation asked Mathieu Valbuena for 150,000 euros to prevent the images of a sex tape from coming to light. The player reported the incident to the police and the investigation revealed that Benzema knew about the existence of the tape and that he spoke to his teammate Valbuena to get him to pay the extortion. This is where doubts arise about Benzema's behaviour: some say that he was involved in the plot and put pressure on his teammate and others claim that he was trying to advise him to avoid a scandal. The fact is that the Versailles prosecutor's office has decided that Benzema, along with three others arrested for the alleged blackmail, will be tried at the end of 2021. It will be then that the Real Madrid striker will be able to clear his name if he is acquitted. 

What are the reasons for Benzema's return to the France squad?

Karim Benzema has been named France's best player abroad. A recognition given to him by his peers on French soil. This award is something else because it confirms that the players are on Benzema's side and pushed the coach to have him back.

Benzema is Real Madrid's most in-form player. The 9 is finally living up to the number he wears on his back and has scored 29 goals so far this season, as well as adding eight assists. His physique has improved. He is slimmer and the old injury in his hand that forces him to wear a bandage is already like a talisman in every match. 

Deschamps had some excuse for not calling up Benzema at the time. It was only in 2016 that the examining magistrate allowed Benzema and Valbuena to play together in the national team. The coach opted to prolong the punishment, although the courts had not yet ruled. Even Valbuena acknowledged that he would have no objection to seeing Benzema again, although he assured that "I wouldn't do that, not even to my worst enemy". Valbuena has not been called up to the France squad for years and at the age of 36, it seems likely that he is close to retirement. 

French politics was in the hands of Françoise Hollande's socialist party at the time of the Valbuena affair. Manuel Valls was the French prime minister and had no problem publicly crucifying Benzema. Valls commented that "I think that the conditions have not yet been met for Karim Benzema to come into the France team. He is still under investigation. Football is not a separate thing, of interest only to sports fans. Football is our heritage. Every gesture, every choice matters". He was very critical of the French striker, always accusing him of not being an exemplary sportsman. 

The French right wing came to Karim Benzema's defence. It was former president Nicolas Sarkozy who protected the striker and attacked Valls: "I don't like when people preach about setting examples. Everyone is now talking about things they know nothing about, things that are covered by the secrecy of investigation. People make accusations, denounce and destroy the accused".

"Deschamps has bowed to pressure from a racist part of France," Benzema said in 2016. The far-right was on the rise in France and the striker understood that his coach had bent the knee. "I will never forget his accusations of racism," Deschamps responded. And the distance between the two grew wider and wider. Public opinion understood that Benzema had called those who argued that he should not be called up racist until the final judgement. 

The polls that years ago condemned Benzema, today absolve him. Public and media judgements are capable of doing more damage than those of the judges themselves. In 2021, the French fans are with Karim. They want the Real Madrid striker to be part of the French team at the European Championship and form an invincible trident alongside Mbappé and Griezmann. Football heals everything and who knows whether events this summer could influence the verdict in October. 

The Real Madrid coach and Florentino Pérez have always protected Benzema. With the Valbuena case and with the Zahia case when he was involved in a prostitution case with a minor along with Ribery. Benzema was acquitted of all charges. Zidane's departure from Real Madrid and the end of Deschamps' cycle may lead to a change of coaches. Zidane was going to count on Benzema in France and it seems that from the Federation they wanted to rush the events so that, on his day, only the new leader of France will be talked about. 

There were many reasons for Benzema to return to play for his country. Along the way, moral and ethical arguments clashed with sporting ones. The latter have won because football is passion and that can overcome anything.