Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been recalled to the France national team squad for Euro2020 for the first since 2015 after the allegation of blackmail against then-teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
Benzema denied the allegations and will appear in court later this year. He has not been called up to the Les Blues squad since then amid other off-field controversies including accusing Deschamps of racism after he was dropped from the Euro2016 squad. He also clashed with Olivier Giroud in the “F1 go kart” issue.
He has now been recalled after an impressive season for Madrid where he has so far scored 29 goals and provides 8 assists.
Benzema was named best French player in a foreign league by the French professional footballers’ union UNFP on Sunday.
Très honoré d’avoir reçu le trophée UNFP du Meilleur Joueur Français à l’Etranger. Merci à tous les joueurs qui ont voté ⚔️
Merci également à mes supporters pour votre soutien et confiance sans faille, cette récompense est la vôtre.
Let’s continue ⏳#alhamdulilah #anotherone pic.twitter.com/QqzY0O6787
Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette and Manchester United Anthony Martial misses out.
The Euro2020 was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will now be played across 12 cities in Europe. France are drawn in Group F with Germany, Hungary and Portugal.
Full Squad List
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Mike Maignan (LOSC Lille) & Steve Mandanda (Olympique de Marseille)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton), Leo Dubois (Olympique Lyonnais), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Jules Kounde (Sevilla), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) & Clement Lenglet (FC Barcelona)
Midfielders: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham Hotspur) & Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembele (FC Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (FC Barcelona), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach), Wissam Ben Yedder (AS Monaco), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid) & Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Image via AFP