Blanc names Benzema in French squad despite soliciting probe

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:KARIM BENZEMA has been included in France coach Laurent Blanc's squad for next Wednesday's friendly against Norway even though the striker is under police investigation on suspicion of soliciting sex with an under-age prostitute.

Blanc, who took over as coach from Raymond Domenech last month, named 13 newcomers in his first squad which did not include the 23 World Cup players suspended for one match by the France Football Federation following the team’s boycott of a training session and first-round exit at the tournament.

Blanc called up Benzema against the wishes of sports minister Roselyne Bachelot, who said the striker and World Cup player Franck Ribery, also under investigation, should not represent France.

“My answer is in the squad list and it’s a clear and precise answer,” Blanc said yesterday.

“Karim’s private life is none of my business. My job is to take decisions that regard sport. I think Karim has the qualities to enter the core of France team,” he added.

Benzema has denied any wrongdoing and Ribery’s lawyer has said the Bayern Munich player did not know the girl at the centre of the probe was under 18 at the time.

Midfielder Lassana Diarra and Benzema are the most capped players in the squad, both with 27 to their name.

The core of the squad comes from the generation who won the under-17 European championship in 2004 and includes several players from the victorious team – Samir Nasri, Benzema, Jeremy Menez (AS Roma) and Hatem Ben Arfa (Marseille).

Either Nicolas Douchez or Stephane Ruffier will play in goal for the first time, while Aly Cissokho, Mathieu Debuchy, Adil Rami, Mamadou Sakho and Benoit Tremoulinas feature in an inexperienced defensive septet.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Anelka admitted his “head was gone” during the infamous row with Raymond Domenech which led to him being sent home from the World Cup, but denied swearing at his former national team boss.

The Chelsea striker was expelled from the French camp after the spat which occurred at half-time of the Group A match against Mexico on June 16th, with Anelka claiming the argument centred over his positioning on the pitch.

The squad subsequently revolted against Domenech, refusing to train on June 20th – just two days before their final group game against host nation South Africa – in protest at Anelka’s treatment.

In an interview with France Soir, Anelka recalled: “We returned to the dressingroom and, for five minutes, the players talked. The coach arrived and said to me: ‘Damn, Nico, I’ve told you to stop dropping back and stay up front’.

“I told him if I stay there, I do not get a touch of the ball, and said: ‘Stop telling me to stay up front. I won’t stay up front’. It carried on, but at that moment my head was gone. I wasn’t even listening to what he said.”

FRANCE SQUAD (v Norway, Oslo, August 11th): Douchez (Rennes), Ruffier (Monaco); Cissokho (Lyon), Debuchy (Lille), Fanni (Rennes), Mexes (Roma), Rami (Lille), Sakho (Paris St Germain), Benoit Tremoulinas (Bordeaux); Cabaye (Lille), Diarra (Real Madrid), Matuidi (St Etienne), Mvila (Rennes), N’Zogbia (Wigan), Nasri (Arsenal), Sissoko (Toulouse); Arfa (Marseille), Benzema (Real Madrid), Briand (Lyon), Hoarau (Paris St Germain), Menez (Roma), Remy (Nice).