Benzema suggests racism played a part in Euro 2016 omission

Karim Benzema has accused racism as being behind his exclusion from the France squad at this summer’s European Championships. 

The Real Madrid striker was let out of Didier Deschamps’ squad due to his alleged involvement in a plot to blackmail international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena. 

Benzema, though, feels it runs deeper than that and that there are other motives for him missing the tournament. 

“[Deschamps] has bowed to the pressure of a racist part of France," said the 28-year-old, who is of Algerian descent, like his Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, in an explosive interview with Marca. 

“He has to know that in France the extremist party reached the second round in the last two elections.

"I do not know, therefore, whether it is a decision only [made by] Didier, because I have gotten along with him, with the president, everyone."

Benzema adds that the decision cannot have had anything to do with his performances and points out that he has still not been found guilty, while also joking about his popularity. 

He continued: “In sporting terms, I do not understand why.

“At a judicial level, I have still not been judged. I am not guilty, so we have to wait to see what the justice says.

"And I have more than 40 million fans on social media - and they say that people do not want me or like me, it is ridiculous."