Benzema retains Euro hope, claims Deschamps support

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has underlined his “dream” to play for France at Euro 2016 and claims to have received support from national team boss Didier Deschamps amid the ongoing Mathieu Valbuena sex-tape case.

Benzema is facing charges of conspiracy to blackmail over an alleged extortion attempt involving a sex-tape of Lyon player Valbuena.

He denies the charges and Benzema’s agent Sylvain Cormier has protested his client’s innocence, saying he is “absolutely calm and beyond reproach”.

Having broken his silence on the issue through an interview with TF1 last week, Benzema reiterated that he hopes to represent France on home soil at next year’s tournament.

He told Telefoot: “My goal is to play in France’s team. It always has been and I do not want to [stop].

“I’m not afraid [of not playing at Euro 2016] because there are too many things in life to be afraid of.

“I dream because it is the Euro, a great competition and it is in France.”

On Deschamps, Benzema added: “I had a message from Didier Deschamps. I often talk to him and he supports me.

“My family and other players support me.”

Benzema scored a brace in Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Getafe on Saturday – his first goals since October, having struggled with a thigh injury alongside his off-field problems.

At the end of last month, Valbuena told Le Monde that he was “more than disappointed” with Benzema’s reported conduct in relation to the blackmail case.