Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says striker Karim Benzema is focused on the job at hand against Sevilla today after a week in which has has made the headlines once again.
The France striker, already involved in a blackmail case against international team mate Matieu Valbuena, was this week reportedly summoned as a witness in a money laundering investigation relating to a business he has invested in. While there is no suggestion he has done anything wrong, it is another mark in a bad year for his image.
Despite recovering from injury, Benzema was also left out the France squad for this month’s friendly matches, increasing the likelihood he will be left out for the European Championships.
At his press conference ahead of the match, Zidane told reporters Benzema is focused.
“Benzema is okay. He’s focused, in spite of the difficulty of his case. He looks good physically, too. I don’t know if it’s fair or unfair. The only thing I want is that the player concentrates on playing football and thinks about the game tomorrow. I’ve spoken to him and that’s the best thing,” he said.
He added: “We have 22, 23 players. I’m always going to put out the best 11, thinking game by game. Being able to choose everyone is positive for a coach.”
