Football
Mark Rodden 8y

Karim Benzema should play for France at Euro 2016 - David Trezeguet

Former France striker David Trezeguet says he hopes that Karim Benzema's legal problems will be resolved in time for the Real Madrid striker to line up for France at Euro 2016.

In November Benzema, 28, was charged with conspiracy to blackmail as part of an investigation into an attempt to extort money from his France teammate Mathieu Valbuena using a sex tape.

Benzema is accused of accepting a request from a childhood friend to act as an intermediary between the blackmailers and Lyon winger Valbuena but he has denied wrongdoing.

Last month he was suspended indefinitely from the French national team, however, a move that puts his participation at Euro 2016 under threat.

Trezeguet, 38, scored the winning goal against Italy in the final of Euro 2000 and the former Juventus forward is hoping that Benzema will get the chance to do something similar this summer.

"We're talking about a unique and exceptional player with regard to the competition but also with regard to his national team," Trezeguet told Belgian TV station RTBF.

"It's not up to me to decide but I hope that they're going to find a solution and that Benzema will be part of the French squad because we're conscious that he's a very important player for this French team."

Trezeguet, who retired from playing in January 2015, thinks that France are in a strong position to do well on home soil -- particularly since 1998 World Cup winning-captain Didier Deschamps is in charge of the side.

"They're a well set-up team with quality individual players," he added. "They have a manager who has experienced everything -- highs and lows.

"He won everything but he also experienced some more delicate moments too. That's to say that in terms of the management of the national team, he's going to know what to do.

"Finally there's a whole country [behind them] that wants to win trophies. It could be something exceptional."

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