Didier Deschamps was interviewed on Thursday by the National Assembly, as part of the commission of inquiry into failures within the French sports federations. He addressed the case of Karim Benzema.
There was nothing optional about the invitation and Didier Deschamps therefore appeared on Thursday before the Commission of Inquiry into Federations, set up by the National Assembly, concerning failures within French sports federations. The coach of the French football team thus answered numerous questions on different subjects, in particular on his relationship with his former boss, Noël Le Graët, or even on the management of Karim Benzema with the Blues.
Evoking both the 2016 tag affair on his Breton home and his choice to send Karim Benzema home, just a few days before the start of the 2022 World Cup, Didier Deschamps justified himself with his words. In comments reported by RMChe first spoke about the famous tag: “ I don’t know if the tag on my house is linked or not to the non-selection of Karim Benzema (the player was dismissed in November 2015, following his involvement in the Mathieu Valbuena sex tape affair, editor’s note) ? I don’t know who the author is. »
“I can give SMS exchanges”
Then the coach talked about the 2022 World Cup and his decision to do without the services of a “KB9” injured during training in Qatar and sent home just before the start of the competition. “ I am coach of the France team and I select players who have French nationality. And my choices are sporting choices. I don’t know if this is the place to retell the story of what happened in Doha, but from the moment I spoke out… In every situation, there is only one truth , but there are several versions. It’s factual and I said what happened. The situation happened exactly like that.“
But the winner of the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 as a player for the France team did not stop there and even offered to reopen the case. “ If you want more details I can give SMS exchanges. But I don’t think that’s going to move things forward. » Unwilling to expand further on the subject, Didier Deschamps then took refuge behind his complaint filed against Daniel Riolo. “I am in proceedings against a journalist who allowed himself to assert things. Justice will deliver its verdict, but I don’t have to make up stories. (…) When I speak, I say what happened, giving more or less details. As there is an ongoing procedure, I cannot give a detailed version.“
Defamation complaint
As a reminder, Didier Deschamps decided to sue the journalist for defamation last March and filed a complaint with the Paris judicial tribunal, with the establishment of a civil party. He accuses Daniel Riolo of having made defamatory remarks against him on the air of RMCnotably these, regarding the management of Karim Benzema during the 2022 World Cup: “ Deschamps lied to us from A to Z. But lying is something he handles perfectly.“
