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football ? Dans la capitale espagnole, on en n’est pas convaincu. Reportage.">
This October 24, 2021, will be the 246th Clasico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou. No more Lionel Messi on the pitch. No, the new star is called Karim Benzema and she plays for the Madrid club. The French is a candidate for the Ballon d’Or. But he especially squatted the justice section this week with the trial of the sextape case. What would slow down his progress and prevent him from winning the biggest individual title in football? In the Spanish capital, we are not convinced. Reporting.
From our correspondent in Madrid,
In front of the club shop, at Santiago Bernabeu, it’s hard to escape. Karim Benzema is everywhere. Real superstar and candidate nominated by the club for the Ballon d’Or race. On the supporter side, there is no doubt: he will raise the most prestigious individual prizes on November 29, as Jesus explains, in his thirties, jogging and jacket in Merengue color: ” Karim Benzema, it’s like good wine. The older he gets, the better he is. And that’s what’s happening to him. He is making incredible matches at this point in his career at Real. Most everyone expects something from Benzema, because Real depend on him, on his goals. The Golden Ball, yes, he is a candidate. And I believe he deserves it. I think he’s helping Real Madrid a lot. »
However, this week, it is in the justice section that the name of Benzema has, again, appeared. The trial of the famous sextape, in France. The prosecution requested a 10-month suspended prison sentence and a 75,000-euro fine against the French attacker. These lawyers asked for the release. The judgment will be rendered on November 24. Not enough to demoralize Real fans. This is the case with Franco. For this Argentinian, living in Madrid for more than 2 years and supporter of the club, the important thing is the field: ” For me, there is no connection between what is happening on the field and outside. I had the same with Maradona. Maradona was a soccer player: an idol. A beast ! And outside, it was his private life. To me, the two things really shouldn’t have anything to do with each other. Because he plays as he should: he’s a player, he’s a teammate … »
A crucial FC Barcelona – Real Madrid for the Ballon d’Or?
For Alfredo Relaño, columnist for the Madrid sports daily AS and juror of the Golden Ball for Spain, if the Sextape affair is notable, it should not make us forget the performances of Benzema on the field, especially during the last League of Nations with the France team: ” I would give importance to what he did in the League of Nations because he was the one who found the solution. In both matches: semi-final and final, he scored decisive goals after very important actions. This competition, I value it because it was semi-finals with the best teams in Europe and it was decisive for him there. So when I am told that he must be dismissed because he has not won any major titles, this competition solved the problem because beyond the trophy, he was the big guy of this title . »
Karim Benzema advances towards this 246th Clasico in history, a summit of Spanish football which coincides with the last day of voting for the Golden Ball. According to our information, at the end of the week, France Football, the organizer of the awards, had not yet received the votes of 30 to 40% of the 170 jurors of the trophy. Thus, this FC Barcelona – Real Madrid, where he will be the star, could be a justice of the peace, far from the court of Versailles where he plays another meeting …
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