Benzema Out of EURO 2016

Benzema - Getty Images

Karim Benzema will not be selected for France’s Euro 2016 campaign, the country’s football federation (FFF) has confirmed.

Benzema pleaded his case for a recall to the national side by posting a video on Facebook, but was told by the FFF on Wednesday that he will play no part in this summer’s tournament.

The Real Madrid frontman has not played for his country since being questioned by police in November in connection to an alleged blackmail attempt against France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, over a sex tape reportedly showing Valbuena and his partner. Concerns over Benzema’s reintegration into the squad have led to the decision to rule out a recall.

A statement on the FFF website read: “[The head coach] Didier Deschamps and [president] Noël Le Graët met to discuss the situation of Mr Benzema. The president of the federation and the coach would agree that athletic performance is an important but not exclusive criterion for selecting the France national team.

“The ability of players to work towards unity, in and around the group, are also taken into account. As a result, Noël Le Graët and Didier Deschamps decided that Karim Benzema will not participate in Euro 2016.”

Benzema posted on Twitter: “Unfortunately for me and for all those who have always supported me. I am not selected for our Euro in France ...”

The Real striker was suspended from the national side after being investigated in connection with an alleged attempt to blackmail Valbuena. The case concerns an alleged attempt by one of his friends to extort money from Valbuena over a sex tape. He told investigators he approached Valbuena about the tape on behalf of “a childhood friend” but claims he did not think he was doing anything wrong.

His lawyer has insisted he was not party to any blackmail attempt. “He played no part, I repeat no part, in any blackmail or attempted blackmail,” Sylvain Cormier, Benzema’s lawyer, said earlier this year.

Benzema was left out of the France squad for the friendlies against Holland and Russia in March having last played for Les Bleus against Armenia in October. A restriction ordering the 28-year-old not to have any contact with Valbuena was lifted before the players were chosen.

The Lyon midfielder was also left out although that was less surprising, his form having dipped this season.

France’s sports minister, Patrick Kanner, had suggested it was too soon to recall the 81-cap striker insisting “human values must be taken into consideration”.

The prime minister, Manuel Valls, echoed that call at the time by telling Radio Monte Carlo: “The conditions for Karim Benzema to return to the France team have not been met at the moment.”

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France Team Must Move Forward - Deschamps

France manager Didier Deschamps says the team must "move forward" as they prepare to make an emotional return to the Stade de France.

The stadium was one of the targets in the November 2015 attacks on Paris that left 130 people dead.

France, who were playing Germany when the attacks took place, return to the stadium to face Russia on 29 March.

"No one can forget what happened, but there's no need to talk about it," said former Chelsea midfielder Deschamps.

"We lived very emotional moments, all together. Now we must move forward. All safety measures will be taken."

The France and Germany squads both slept at the stadium after the 13 November attacks, with the sound of explosions outside clearly audible inside the ground during the game.

The 81,338-capacity Stade de France has staged Six Nations rugby union matches - including Saturday's game when England claimed the Grand Slam - since the attacks.

France will host Euro 2016 between 10 June and 10 July, with the Stade de France the venue for the opening match of the tournament between France and Romania.

France are away to the Netherlands on Friday before hosting Russia on Tuesday.

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Benzema Injured in Atletico Defeat

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is expected to be out for up to a month because of a right leg muscle injury.

Benzema will miss upcoming Spanish league games and the Champions League return match against Roma next week. Madrid won the first leg 2-0 in Rome.

The Frenchman should be fit again in time for El Clásico against Barcelona in the Spanish league at the Camp Nou on 2 April.

Madrid did not say exactly how long the player was expected to be sidelined, noting that “his recovery will continue to be assessed”.

Benzema had missed the game against Malaga a week ago because of a back problem. He was substituted at half-time in Madrid’s 1-0 home defeat against Atlético Madrid because of the muscle injury.

On Satuday Atletico Madrid won a third consecutive La Liga Bernabeu derby to practically end Real Madrid's title hopes.

Diego Simeone's visitors are now five points off leaders Barcelona, who have a game in hand, while Real are nine points below the champions.

Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal, early in the second half, when he steered Filipe Luis' pass home.

Real, who were two points off Barca when Zinedine Zidane took over, had not lost in his first eight games as boss.

The result means Atletico are the first side in La Liga history to win three times in a row at the Bernabeu, as Real fans called for club president Florentino Perez to resign.

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Deschamps Could Consider Benzema

Didier Deschamps would be open to including Karim Benzema in France’s European Championship squad should the striker be cleared to play.

The Real Madrid player was questioned by police in November in connection with an alleged blackmail of a France team-mate, Mathieu Valbuena, related to the reported existence of a sex-tape featuring the Lyon playmaker.

Benzema was ordered by a judge not to have any contact with Valbuena and was consequently banned from the national team by the French Football Federation president, Noël Le Graët.

Deschamps would love to have him available for the tournament but told Canal+: “There is the law, and there is the federation. As of today, he is still not available so I cannot select him. It would need my president to decide [if he can play] and for the law to give a positive answer as well.

“If I found myself in that situation, I would consider it and make my decision. Things can change. From a sporting point of view, I want to have the best team and therefore the best players. But in this case, there is also a judicial panel. We have to see how things develop.”

Valbuena was also absent from Les Bleus’ last squad, with his club form having slipped in the wake of the revelations.

Deschamps said: “He is a victim, it is clear. This episode has affected him psychologically and has affected his performances with Lyon, but he is still a high-quality player. Anyone can get into the squad and anyone can drop out of it.”

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Betis Hold Zidane Roller Coaster

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Zinedine Zidane suffered his first setback since taking charge of Real Madrid as his title-chasing side were held to a 1-1 draw in a thrilling game at struggling Real Betis.

Alvaro Cejudo's wonder strike gave Betis the lead after seven minutes but Karim Benzema tapped home to level after 71 minutes.

Madrid dominated the latter stages of the game but were denied by several outstanding saves from former Merengues goalkeeper Antonio Adan.

They stay third in the Primera Division, four points behind Barcelona and failing to capitalise on Atletico Madrid's goalless draw with Sevilla earlier on Sunday.

But Betis are still without a win in eight matches, meanwhile, but pick up a second consecutive point under caretaker coach Juan Merino, leaving them 14th in the table.

Madrid were without Gareth Bale, who had scored nine goals and given three assists in his last five matches, so Zidane gave James Rodriguez a first start in four league games.

The Frenchman also recalled Danilo at right-back, surprisingly leaving Dani Cavajal on the bench, and brought in Raphael Varane for the injured Sergio Ramos.

Zidane went into his first away fixture as Madrid coach boasting the best start to life in the Merengues' dugout in the club's history thanks to the 5-0 and 5-1 wins over Deportivo La Coruna and Sporting Gijon respectively, but was quickly brought down to earth as Betis took an early lead.

Ruben Castro went for goal from outside the area and Keylor Navas parried but the danger was not properly cleared and it bounced up towards Cejudo, who swivelled and unleashed a brilliant volley into far the top corner from the edge of the box.

Betis were able to contain Madrid for a 20-minute spell after scoring until Cristiano Ronaldo found a way into the box and aimed for the far corner with his left foot, but shot well wide of the far post. A minute later Pepe rose to meet a corner and powered a header just over the bar.

Madrid were then left fuming when their calls for a penalty were turned down. Benzema dribbled into the area and as he took on Petros, the Brazilian appeared to tread on his foot, causing him the Frenchman to fall, but referee Juan Martinez Munuera was unmoved.

Madrid made a better start to the second half and soon could have drawn level. Ronaldo flicked a cross into the box towards Rodriguez, who failed to make any contact and the ball instead fell to Benzema, whose initial shot was repelled by Adan, and the striker could only blast over on the rebound.

Rodriguez had a chance to vindicate his earlier miss and his general dip in form over the last couple of months when the ball dropped to him on the volley, but his shot fell straight into the arms of Adan.

Carvajal replaced Danilo and had an instant impact, bursting down the right to control a cross from Marcelo, but thumped the ball wide of the near post.

Yet a Madrid equaliser did not look far away and it arrived when Toni Kroos threaded a pass to Rodriguez in the area, and as Adan came out the Colombian squared to Benzema, who touched the ball into the empty net. But Betis players were furious that Rodriguez was not ruled offside.

Madrid only grew in confidence after equalising and continued to invade Betis' half. Rodriguez let fly from outside the area, forcing Adan to dive towards the top corner to punch away. He made an even better from Benzema, sticking out a hand at the near post to keep out the Frenchman's rebound.

Madrid kept on coming at Betis, who could hardly cross the halfway line, but the winning goal they craved remained elusive, and they almost conceded in injury time when, Ruben Castro fired just over the bar on a rare breakaway for the hosts.

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Bale Treble Answers Real Questions

Gareth Bale scored a hat-trick as Zinedine Zidane began his time as Real Madrid manager with a comprehensive win over Deportivo La Coruna.

Karim Benzema claimed his 100th league goal for the club with an early opener in the first game since the departure of previous manager Rafael Benitez.

Bale headed the second and found the bottom corner after the break before sealing his treble with another header.

Benzema hit a fifth to leave Real two points behind league leaders Barcelona.

The inclusion of the attack-minded Dani Carvajal in defence as one of two changes hinted at the way Zidane wants his full-backs to get forward more. He was repaid when the right-back, in for Danilo, set up the first of Bale's goals. And it was the kind of line-up the fans wanted to see.

Bale filled in as an emergency full-back for a short spell in the second half

Zidane was instrumental in Welshman Bale's record-breaking £85.3m move to the Bernabeu from Tottenham in 2013 and he will continue to be a centre-piece of the new manager's plans if he keeps producing displays like this.

Bale did not start off too well, and he should have been flagged offside as Benzema claimed Real's first goal. But from that point, the 26-year-old's contribution was wholly positive.

He departed to a hero's send-off when substituted towards the end, and the look of envy on Cristiano Ronaldo's face conveyed how fine a performance it had been.

The visitors should have taken the lead, and Zidane will have been alarmed at the ease with which his side allowed crosses into their area, especially in the first half. A lack of communication between his centre-backs also needs to be addressed.

Of course any side possessing Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema will score goals but, despite the clean sheet, Real continue to look vulnerable at the other end.

"Whenever you win a match, then the coach can only be happy, and I'm happy. What I liked most of all was the attitude of everyone, those who played and those who didn't.

"Winning 5-0 isn't easy against a side like Deportivo and I'm happy with our first game and our first four days of training."

Real have more than a week to prepare for their next game, when they host struggling Sporting Gijon on 17 January.

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Benzema to Miss Euro 2016 Finals

The France coach Didier Deschamps has said it would be impossible for him to pick Karim Benzema for next year’s European Championship while the case involving the alleged blackmail of a national team-mate is hanging over him.

The Real Madrid striker is currently suspended from the national team after being placed under formal investigation over an alleged plot to blackmail the Lyon midfielder Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape.

Noël Le Graët, the head of the French Football Federation, said last week: “Benzema is not able to be picked and he won’t be in June [at Euro 2016] if the situation does not change. It’s heartbreaking, I must say.

“We’re all embarrassed, we would have preferred to avoid such an affair. I’m unhappy about it firstly because he is good and because I’m convinced he was caught up in something completely crazy which went over his head.”

Deschamps agreed with Le Graët, in an interview picked up by L’Equipe when he was asked whether Benzema could make the team for Euro 16. “For now, this is not possible,” he said.

He had some sympathy for the striker, saying: “Benzema made ​​a mistake, that’s obvious” and said he “did not assess the situation in which he found himself” but he was unstinting in his support for Valbuena who he described as “the victim in this case”. He added: “I do not have to defend him because he is accused of nothing” and described him as an important player for France.

He was more concerned about the effects of the case on the hosts, “especially six months from the Euros”, fearing distractions for the dressing room while insisting that the team “will be there fully together”.

Benzema, who has the support of the Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, is being investigated over an alleged attempt by one of his friends to extort money from Valbuena over the sex tape. He told investigators he approached Valbuena about the tape on behalf of “a childhood friend” but claims he did not think he was doing anything wrong.

Valbuena has said he felt “deeply disappointed” that someone he considered a friend and team-mate might be involved in the alleged plot. The pair were omitted from France’s squad for the games with Germany and England last month.

Benzema’s lawyer has insisted he was not party to any blackmail attempt. “He played no part, I repeat no part, in any blackmail or attempted blackmail,” Sylvain Cormier said in November.

Benzema had asked the FFF to delay making a decision on his participation in the Euros. The player was formally put under investigation on 5 November for “complicity in a blackmail attempt” and being part of a “criminal group”.

He is under judicial control, meaning he is not allowed to have any contact with Valbuena.

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The BBC Secure Real Victory

Real Madrid ended a turbulent week off the pitch on a high when Karim Benzema struck twice and Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale scored a goal apiece in a 4-1 victory over Getafe in La Liga.

Real were expelled from the Copa del Rey on Friday after fielding an ineligible player in Wednesday’s last-32, first-leg tie at third-tier Cadiz, the latest setback in a difficult few weeks for the world’s richest club by income. Hammered 4-0 at home by Barcelona last month, Real needed a strong performance against their city neighbours Getafe to relieve the pressure on Rafa Benítez.

The Real coach, who took over from the sacked Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last season, was roundly whistled when his name was read out with the team lists before kick-off and there were more chants during the game calling for the club’s president, Florentino Pérez, to step down.

The France forward Benzema, whose legal problems have been another of Real’s off-field distractions, opened the scoring in the fourth minute when he volleyed in Pepe’s cross. Benzema, who is under investigation over his alleged involvement in an attempt to blackmail France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena with a sex video, added a second in the 16th minute with a low shot into the corner.

Bale made it 3-0 in the 35th after being set up by Ronaldo, who put Real out of sight against a woeful Getafe when he finished off a swift break three minutes later.

The afternoon marked the first time this season Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo, collectively known as “BBC”, have scored in the same La Liga game.

Real eased off in the second half and the Getafe defender Alexis Ruano pulled a goal back at a 70th-minute corner, prompting more whistles directed at their own team from some sections of the home crowd.

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