Karim Benzema with Real Madrid, in May 2021. – Joaquin Corchero // SIPA
Simply happy to be there. Karim Benzema, back in the France team, impatiently awaits the start of the Blues rally in Clairefontaine, from Wednesday. In the meantime, passing through Lyon, he gave a long interview to The team in which he spoke of his interview with Didier Deschamps, his life away from the Blues and his ambitions with this talented team.
On this famous discussion with the coach, Benz ‘does not say much more than DD, even if he leaves more to imagine a very serene atmosphere. “It was really a quiet time. We had not seen each other since my last selection, in 2015… It did us good to discuss, exchange and see that we had a lot to say to each other, describes the Madrilenian. I always got along well with him and after three minutes everything was back to normal. “
“I’m not coming to overshadow so-and-so”
Benzema also specifies that at the end of the interview, Deschamps did not promise him anything and did not come back to him before the announcement of the list. “We talked about a lot of things, it was a long discussion between men, which will remain between us. We didn’t just talk about football, we talked about everything: life, family … But at no time did he tell me: “You will be at the Euro”, he says. The only thing I said to myself after this discussion was that we had taken a big step together, and that it was positive. “
He was not wrong. And now it’s time for the Euro. Regarding his integration into the group, Benzema said to himself “sure that it will go very well”: “I do not come to the France team to overshadow so-and-so or to take the place of anyone. No no. They have already won! They know what it is. Me, I just bring what I know how to do, “assured the top scorer of Real this season.
And he has a fairly precise idea of what he can bring, precisely. Because KB watched “all the matches” of the Blues during these six years. “I know very well how it plays and I think it will be very easy. I’m going to try to do what I’m doing in Madrid: give when you have to give, move when you have to move. Orchestrate, give speed, movement, play in one touch… What the game requires, in fact. “
With Mbappé, Griezmann, Coman and others next to him, it should go pretty well. “I want to win a trophy with the France team,” he finally asserts with the desire to make up for lost time.