After being recalled to the French team, to everyone’s surprise, by Didier Deschamps for Euro 2021 – postponed by a year due to Covid -, Karim Benzema ended his international career a year and a half later. The reason? A new imbroglio around an injury which made him leave the gathering of the Blues, who were preparing to enter the running in the 2022 World Cup.
And while Didier Deschamps has already announced that he will leave his position as coach at the end of the 2026 World Cup and that Zinedine Zidane should take over, barring a huge twist, the “Nueve” is not closing the door to a (new) return to Blue under the orders of his mentor. This is what he suggested during a recent interview with
A.S..
“The national team is still a little far away, but you never know. I focus on what I have now », launched the 2022 Ballon d’Or, before discussing the probable nomination of “Zizou”: “Zidane next coach? I think he has everything it takes to get there. He proved it at Real Madrid. There is another coach now, but I think Zidane is number one. »
Papin: “I think it’s over”
So, are we heading towards a second comeback for Benzema in the French team? Jean-Pierre Papin doesn’t believe it for a moment. “ I think it’s a little late now… I really like Karim. It made me rethink some things I had done in the past. But hey, in his com’… », indicated the former Marseillais on the airwaves of RMC, where he; serves as a consultant.
“It’s been two years since he left for Saudi Arabia, he realizes that Zidane is arriving in the French team, he who was his coach at Real, and you start to say that you want to return, that why not a return… At 37 now, I think it’s too late for him “, added “JPP”.
And to conclude on the subject: “ Yes, it ended badly with Didier Deschamps, it ended badly with certain players… I think the communication is not appropriate. I think it’s too late, I think it’s over. » But as the saying goes: “anything is possible in football…”
