Karim Benzema will not be excluded from the French team regardless of the verdict of the Court of Versailles regarding the Sextape with his former teammate, Mathieu Valbuena. This has been confirmed Noël Le Graet in an interview with Le Parisien In which, in addition, he has not been able to ensure the continuity of Deschamps after the World Cup in Qatar at the head of the current world champion.
“Sanction Benzema without the national team? No. The selector will always be responsible for his calls and will not be excluded with respect to a possible judicial sanction. Even if you receive a suspended prison sentence, you have the right to appeal against it. Then its call or not in the coming months will not be linked to the judicial process “, Le Graet underlined at Le Parisien when asked about the future of the Real Madrid striker at Les Bleus.
Furthermore, he added: “I will never intervene to say that we do not accept Benzema in the national team. After that, it is up to Deschamps to consider whether, from a sporting point of view, he is fit to be called up with Les Bleus ”.
Regarding the future of Deschamps at the helm of the team after the World Cup in Qatar, the president of the Federation was skeptical: “If France qualifies for the World Cup, the future for Deschamps does not change at all. We are close enough to discuss your future in due course. But it is not in my plans to renew him now, nor in yours. Renew him after the World Cup? I do not know. Deschamps himself said he would like to coach a club. He will not be in charge of the Federation for 50 years. Unless we have a very good World Cup and he tells me he wants to stay, then I will not be the one to deny him.