This is a terse statement that Christmas Graët ended, Wednesday, April 13, at a heavy suspense. The president of the French Football Federation (FFF) announced that Karim Benzema – indicted in November 2015 for “attempted blackmail of complicity” and “participation in a criminal association” under the case known as ” sextape blackmail “, including his teammate Mathieu Valbuena tricolor was the victim – will not participate in Euro 2016, to be held in France from 10 June to 10 July. Breton leader and closes the door to a possible return of Real Madrid striker in the France team before May 12, the day of the announcement of the list of twenty-three players selected for the competition.
“ There is no obstacle in law, in fact it is selected “, yet the FFF said in a statement, while the fine trigger of Galacticos (Real Madrid) had been constantly called with the Blues during his indictment as part of Zahia affair from 2010 to 2014. like his partner Franck Ribery, the former Olympique Lyonnais nugget had been bleached in This folder. But Mr. Graët and the coach of El Tri, Didier Deschamps, “ would recall that athletic performance is an important but not exclusive criterion (…) ” “ The ability of players to work in the sense of unity within and around the group, and exemplary preservation group are also taken into account by all the Federation of breeders’ argues the FFF.
Before taking its decision, Christmas Graët consulted the summary note prepared by the legal services of the Federation, civil party in the case, from the voluminous trial record. Karim Benzema, warned by Didier Deschamps, had anticipated a few minutes the news release of the FFF announcing his non-participation in the Euro on his twitter account. “ What concerns me is that in the statement I hear exemplary for a crime he did not prove it was committed” , asks Eric Dupond -Moretti, the lawyer of the current top scorer of the Blues (27 goals).
on 10 December 2015, Christmas Graët indicated that striker Merengue was “more selectable “ as ” his situation “ did not evolve. The horizon of Karim Benzema has cleared on March 11 when his supervision was finally lifted . The head of the FFF then planned to meet Mathieu Valbuena and Madrid gunner, absent from selection October in his office in early April.
“Presumption of innocence”
in fact, this decision goes against signals that Christmas Graët and his coach were sent in recent months. In the columns of Team , in mid-March, Didier Deschamps assured wanting to “ the best team and therefore the best players,” while defending the “presumption of innocence” Karim Benzema, stratospheric since the appointment of his compatriot Zinedine Zidane head of Galacticos.
the captain of the Blues world champions in 1998 and Europe in 2000 seemed to ignore the disapproving polls. A study conducted in December by the Institute for Elabe RMC-BFM TV, 82% of French opposed a return to France team Benzema. At the end of February, a study by Odoxa RTL gave a virtually similar result with 70% of respondents opposed.
“ This is one of the most complex issues that I have had to manage to the FFF , confided to the World Mr. Graët few days before making his decision. For there is a contradiction between public opinion and what I feel for this young man. I like him not to mention the case. We can ask Laurent Blanc or Didier, all coaches, Zidane today, he always led the drive level, the group of sponsors. “
Aware of sports weight Karim Benzema, eager to see the Blues reach at least the semi-finals of the Euro, Christmas Graët had engaged in a player’s rehabilitation campaign since his indictment. “ The real question is whether Benzema center-forward type of team France ,” he said to the World in November. A month later, he returned to the “ racist emails ” received the FFF following the scandal of “blackmail sextape” .
“We were in a bit difficult period after the attacks . The letters we received, it was horror, is now developing leader. So I defended a little maybe. It was a bit ‘Arabic, outside, and like this one is quiet, “we all” white “, not the color, but frankly so clean … And it I think it corresponds to nothing. He certainly made a mistake. But sway someone in public at this point, it does not happen. “
Legal Information
On March 17, Libération revealed that Real Player had been heard in January as a witness by the financial magistrate Renaud Van Ruymbeke as part of a judicial inquiry opened in September 2015 by the Paris prosecutor, for money laundering by organized gangs and drug trafficking laundering. This item has he changed things as the president of the FFF would have preferred to be informed of the hearing by the applicant rather than the press?
Christmas Graët had particular abstraction statements Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, and the Minister of Sports, Patrick Kanner, hostile to a return of Karim Benzema selection. The former mayor of Guingamp PS (1995-2008) had then received support from François Hollande, which he says “ close .” Anxious to avoid any interference in the affairs of the FFF, the Head of State has also respondent members of the government not to comment on the case Benzema.
On the pitch, the absence of Merengue she will be a handicap for the team of France? The outbreak prodigious Anthony Martial, 20, and Kingsley Coman, 19, reflects the pool of strikers including Didier Deschamps has. The offensive festival offered by the Blues in late March against the Netherlands (3-2) and Russia (4-2), assured the coach. If it wished clearing the ground before the announcement of “his 23 ‘Benzema’s case is far from closed. For no doubt that the shadow of the striker of Real hover over El Tri in the Euro.
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