Griezmann joins calls for Benzema return: "France misses him"
Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann is the latest person to express desire in seeing Benzema invited back to the France fold, despite the striker's alleged bribery of Mathieu Valbuena
Karim Benzema continues to gain support for a France recall after once again being left out the national squad by coach Didier Deschamps for his alleged blackmail of Les Bleus teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
Benzema "not suspended"
“Benzema isn’t selectable,” president of France’s football federation, Noel Le Graet, originally remarked when Deschamps decided not to pick the Real Madrid striker for his Euro 2016 set-up during the summer. However, his posture seems to have changed since then, saying earlier this week that Benzema is able to be selected and “is not suspended by the federation.”
"France misses him"
Aside from Le Graet’s wink towards a possible return for the forward to the France side, and the declaration of Benzema’s club coach Zinedine Zidane that he’s “eager to go back”, now teammate Antoine Griezmann has also joined the growing calls for the 28-year old to be reinvited to the France fold.
“France misses him because he’s a great player,” said the Atlético Madrid striker on Friday. “He’s easy to connect with on the pitch. Playing with him is easy and he understands me on and off the field.”
Date set for Benzema appeal hearing
Meanwhile, as France prepare for their upcoming World Cup 2018 qualifiers versus Bulgaria on Friday and the Netherlands on Monday without Karim Benzema, the Real Madrid man will just a few days later find out if there are any criminal charges to be brought against him in the Valbuena Case on 14 October. The investigating chamber of the Court of Appeal of Versailles that day will decide whether to accept or dismiss the appeal of the Frenchman.