Real Madrid Castilla boss and legendary former France playmaker Zinedine Zidane says Les Bleus should not ban Karim Benzema from the international side because of his involvement in a blackmail plot against Matieu Valbuena.
The 27-year-old was arrested last month as part of an investigation into claims he was involved in an attempt to extort money from the Lyon midfielder to get rid of a sex tap Valbuena featured in.
Noel Le Graet, president of the French FA is due to hold a press conference on Thursday to update on events and what action is being taken. And both Le Parisien and L’Equipe say Benzema will be excluded from the squad pending the outcome of the investigation.
That would almost certainly mean he will not feature for France in the European Championships next summer which are being held on home soil.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Zidane said France need their best players available for the tournament adding that Benzema should not be banned.
“We have to wait until Thursday. But the best thing for France and the player is for him to avoid a suspension. We’re talking about a really important player for our team and I’m only focused on the sporting side of things,” he said.
And he added: “I expect that he can solve his personal problems. He really wanted to play this game, do well, and score goals. Doing well on the pitch will help him to deal with other things.”
