Karim Benzema axed from Euro 2016 national squad
Karim Benzema will not feature for France on home soil at this Summer's Euro 2016. The forward was left out of the national squad so as not to "disrupt the spirit" of the team, French football chief Noel Le Graet told sports daily L'Equipe on Thursday.
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Benzema, under formal investigation in an alleged sextape scandal, has expressed his disappointment.
The Real Madrid striker "did something really stupid" over the Mathieu Valbuena sextape affair, the French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet said on Thursday.
And as a result, Karim Benzema will miss out on the Euro championships this June.
The forward was indefinitely suspended from the national team in December after he was accused of trying to extort money from fellow player, Mathieu Valbuena in relation to a sex-tape.
Legal restrictions preventing him from playing alongside Valbuena were lifted last month but the French football federation says that selections aren't just down to sporting performance.
"The ability of the players to work in unity, exemplary behaviour are also taken into account", the federation said in a statement.
Benzema has insisted he's innocent, but even the Prime minister has weighed in on the debate, saying the striker should not be allowed to play for the national side while he is still under investigation. Manuel Valls even accused the striker of setting a bad example.
An opinion shared by 82% of French people, according to a recent survey.
French Coach Didier Deschamps is set to unveil the full list of the twenty-three-man squad for the Euro 2016 championship next month.
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