Former France captain Patrice Evra spoke on his instagram earlier today about the withdrawal of of Karim Benzema from Les Bleus’ squad during the World Cup, and specifically how he was “disappointed” from the outside at the attitude of France players towards the Ballon d’Or winner.
“I have the impression that Karim bothered a lot of people,” said the former Manchester United defender, before getting into the question of whether Benzema could have made a return “You as players should be going to war for another player – the doctor said he would be out for only three weeks.”
Evra then cites the injury situation of Angel Di Maria, who returned in time for the final against France, even scoring against Les Bleus during the 3-3 draw which led to a penalty win for the Argentines. “You told Karim to do his business, you players are making the same mistake as the 98′ world champions who thought that the French national team belonged to them. The French national team belongs to everyone.”
The fitness of Benzema was a contentious issue throughout France’s World Cup journey, which ultimately led to the striker announcing his retirement from international football following their defeat in the final against Argentina. Tensions arose between the France team, Real Madrid, and Benzema’s own team, particularly due to the fact that he played in a friendly match with Real Madrid on December 15th.
GFFN | George Boxall
