Benzema’s France return ‘non-event’, says Deschamps

France’s head coach Didier Deschamps (centre) and assistant coach Guy Stephan (left) ride a bicycle followed by their players in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines as part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming Euro 2020. (AFP)

Didier Deschamps tried yesterday to play down the shock return of Karim Benzema to the France squad as his team begins its preparations for Euro 2020, classing it as a “non-event”. Real Madrid forward Benzema’s near six-year exile from the national team over his alleged role in a blackmail plot came to an end last week when he was recalled by Deschamps for this summer’s delayed European Championship. He joined the squad at France’s Clairefontaine training centre yesterday and is set to form a potent-looking attack with World Cup-winners Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. “It’s a non-event,” insisted Deschamps. “That it interests people on the outside, OK, but for me he is happy to be here, it’s been a long time, he’s refound his footing with the other 21 players. He is coming into a group that knows each other, but he has earned his place same as the other players.” On Tuesday, Benzema told L’Equipe that he wanted to win a trophy with France now that he is back in the fold for the first time since 2015. He missed out on their 2018 World Cup win and their run to the Euro 2016 final on home soil. “I want to win a trophy with the French team,” he said, adding that he hoped to “bring a little bit extra” to the World Cup-winners. Benzema has 27 goals in 81 international appearances and was last week named as this season’s best French foreign-based player by the country’s players’ association. He scored 29 goals this term for Real Madrid, passing 20 league goals in all three seasons since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018. Benzema has repeatedly criticised Deschamps and the French Football Federation for being dropped, citing racism as a factor in his axing from the Euro 2016 squad. But he said those differences were in the past after his conversation with the coach. “We said many things. Things that we needed to say for a long time. It was a good explanation, with important words,” Benzema said. He added: “I’m not coming to the French team to overshadow anyone or to take anyone’s place.... I am here to bring what I know.” Meanwhile, Deschamps said all staff members of the French team have been vaccinated against Covid-19 ahead of Euro 2020, although the federation had made no plan to protect the players. “The whole staff has been vaccinated but nothing has been organised for the players,” said. “Getting vaccinated is a personal decision. Some players might have been vaccinated. We know that vaccination is the only way to fight against the virus.” Every adult in France is now eligible to receive a vaccination shot, with the under-50s needing to book next-day appointments until Monday. From Tuesday, they will be able to book any available slot. France have been drawn in Euro Group F with Germany, Hungary and Portugal. They will play two warm-up games before their June 15 opener against Germany in Munich – against Wales in Nice on June 2 and against Bulgaria on June 8 at the Stade de France. Until then, the France staff will work on getting every player into the best physical shape at the end of a long club season. “We are in the first part of the preparation. We need to put gas in the engine,” said Deschamps. All the players are not at the same level of fitness and our job is to get all of them to the best possible condition.”