France’s top scorer Karim Benzema has accused coach Didier
Deschamps of bowing to pressure from a “racist" political party by not
choosing him for the country’s Euro 2016 squad.
The comments echo similar accusations from France football legend Eric Cantona,
who last week said Deschamps had excluded Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa
because of their North African heritage — drawing a threat of legal
action from the coach’s lawyer.
Benzema told Spanish daily Marca
that Deschamps “bowed to pressure from a racist French party" in his
selection, referencing the recent electoral success of France’s
far-right National Front.
“I do not know if this decision was only
down to Didier, because I get along with him, with the president (of
the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet) and everyone," he said.
Benzema
was suspended from international duty in December over a legal
investigation into an alleged attempt by one of his friends to blackmail
his teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
France’s leading goalscorer faces up to five years in jail over accusations he encouraged Valbuena to pay the blackmailers.
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