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French striker Olivier Giroud says his “supposed rivalry” with Karim Benzema was made from scratch.
Olivier Giroud insists that Karim Benzema’s ongoing exile from the France team is “a shame” and “a kind of disaster”, insisting that he has nothing but respect for his fellow forward.
Real Madrid forward Benzema has not played for Les Bleus since 2015 after being kept out of the setup due to his alleged involvement in a plot to blackmail Mathieu Valbuena.
Giroud has established himself as a key part of France’s attack in his absence and is set to win his 100th match in a friendly against Ukraine on Wednesday.
Benzema’s criticism of Giroud
Since he was eliminated, Benzema has been highly critical of Giroud’s presence up front for Les Bleus. When asked to rate the Chelsea forward on social media last April, Benzema said: “F1 is not confused with karting … and I know that I am F1.”
But Giroud insists he has no problem with the former Lyon star, whom he regrets has been relegated to the international desert for so long.
Giroud has no problems with Benzema
“Clearly, it’s a shame, because Karim is still an impressive player because of his qualities.” Giroud told RMC.
“I never had a dispute with him, history wanted us to oppose him. I have always had a good understanding with him, a lot of mutual respect … at least from me to him.
“I think it’s a shame everything that happened, it’s a disaster, but now we have to move on. The English are very envious of this young generation that is growing up. “
Giroud was part of the France squad that won the 2018 World Cup and feels he has shown he deserves his place in the team, with a “supposed rivalry” with Benzema fabricated in the media.
“At the time, when I was unfairly criticized for Karim’s absence, it hurt.” he said.
“I kept proving that I deserved my place and that this supposed rivalry with Karim was created from scratch by some people.
“I had nothing to do with it, we just played in the same position. It happened but I reacted well to these difficulties.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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