The soap opera featuring Didier Deschamps and Karim Benzema has taken a fresh turn, as the relationship between the player and the coach might be the real reason for the striker's decision to call it quits from Les Bleus.
French media outlets such as L'Equipe and Le Parisien have stated that Benzema's message to end his relationship with the national team deserved a more decent touch, adding that there is not too much concern in France after the player revealed his decision.
Speaking about the same subject, RMC Sport reveal that Benzema's exit from the team had a "hidden reason".
"We should know the truth about what happened back in Qatar. A player that had a great performance at Real Madrid, who won the Ballon D'Or, and who was never able to show his worth with the French side. When you ask around in France, the closest version of the truth is that Benzema did not come clean to Deschamps about his injury, and that he was not as fit as he claimed he was before the World Cup," the media outlet says.
Apparently, the decision to send the player back came from Qatar was made by the French Football Federation, and the mood within the team changed overtime.
"The French Federation saw him training and realized he was not OK. Deschamps felt betrayed by Benzema and that's why they decided to send him home. Once they did that, the environment within the team improved without Benzema. They were happier and the team played better," the French publication adds.
With this in mind, it is no secret to why Deschamps refused to speak about Benzema's return to the team prior to the final.
"France sent him back to Madrid and never considered to have him back with the team if he managed to recover, something Benzema would have been glad to do. Benzema even told his inner circle he would have been glad to stay in Doha if they had asked him to, but the French Federation did not want him back at all," the report states.
Lastly, the media outlet revealed that Didier Deschamps will not part ways with Les Bleus, and he has even targeted to stay with the team beyond the UEFA Euro in 2024.
"Deschamps has his mind set on leading France to the World Cup in 2026," the report concludes.
