From Arsenal to the Ball God

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After the match, Benzema slowly returned to the locker room, ready to have a chat with Deschamps, only to find that both he and Mael were nowhere to be seen.

This left him a bit stunned; he had originally thought that these two would wait for him and discuss privately how to handle the situation gracefully.

Did they go straight to the press conference?

Benzema returned to his seat with a sullen face, complaining to himself as he unwrapped the bandage on his ankle, feeling he hadn’t received the respect he deserved.

”I’m waiting to see how you two are going to handle this matter.”

With an indifferent expression, from the heart, he didn’t think he would receive such a severe punishment, at least not like Ribery.

Their situations are different. He’s only 25 this year, right in his prime as a striker, and he has at least 8 to 10 more peak years.

In contrast, Ribery, as a winger, is about to reach the 30-year-old threshold, and his speed and agility are sure to decline, making it difficult to maintain peak condition.

Plus, with Mael emerging, if Ribery doesn’t accept being a substitute, he’ll definitely end up on the chopping block.

What about him?

He is an indispensable core player for this team. Who can replace him?!

Giroud?

Benzema considered it impossible; if the France team wants to go further, it must have someone like him who can hold on to the center and has enough offensive talent to support the team.

He’s a Real Madrid star, while Giroud is just a big guy still languishing in the Ligue 1. The gap between them can’t be bridged by just one mistake.

Another point is when Deschamps first joined the team, he had the task of updating the French Football Federation while establishing his authority.

During that time, Ribery made some mistakes and became a typical example naturally dealt with forcefully.

He didn’t jump in at that time because he understood the situation and deliberately avoided getting involved.

But now?

Deschamps has basically completed his task, and the team has reached a critical period. Is there any reason for authority or to deal with players anymore?

Even though he admitted he got carried away earlier and acted more irrationally and excessively, possibly bringing even greater negative impact to the team, does Deschamps have the audacity to take him down?

This team has already been controversial for not bringing Ribery before the European Cup started. Would handling him after finishing the group stages bring more criticism and pressure?

Unless they can win the championship at last, otherwise Deschamps is bound to face an angry reckoning from some French fans after the European Cup ends, possibly even losing his coaching position.

”Ha...” Benzema let out a dry laugh, without him, only relying on Mael and Nasri, what’s the team supposed to compete for the championship with?

So it will definitely be a fine plus an apology, as long as he shows a sincere attitude then, this matter will pass.

Feeling somewhat relieved, he began to focus on repenting for the mistake he just made... after all, this was indeed his fault; if he wants to become a better player and win more honors, he must become more rational.

He’ll get through this time for now. Just hoping not to make similar mistakes again in the future.

...

”Sweden defeats France 2-1 but still fails to qualify for the knockout stage! England defeats Ukraine 1-0, grabbing the last spot in the quarterfinals!” - The Guardian with images

”France loses 1-2 to Sweden! Lost the last round of the group stage, Benzema threw the captain armband to blame Meks, drawing dissatisfaction from Deschamps and Mael!” - El Salvador Paper

”Traditional ’craft’ reappears? France team advances as group leader but fails to avoid internal conflict!” - Live Stream

Even as the match came to an end, the news about internal conflicts within the France team was already spreading, sparking attention and discussion from fans worldwide.

”What the hell is Benzema doing?!”

”He went overboard, made me laugh hahaha, now there’s a good show to watch.”

”The main thing is how he will be dealt with? Is there no follow-up from Deschamps and the France team?”

”There seems to be an ongoing press conference, with Deschamps and Mael attending together. There should be reports coming out.”

”I’m a bit worried for Benzema. He won’t also be dealt with out of the team, will he? Deschamps never allows these kinds of players to get used to it.”

”No way, right? The quarterfinals are about to happen, handling the main striker now is seemingly very ridiculous; if that’s really the case, might as well let Italy advance directly.”

”What is happening with the France team? Only when Deschamps and Zidane were there, it worked; once those guys retire, there’s internal conflict in big matches every year, this year with Mael, I originally thought there would be new trends.”

”There indeed is new development, and earlier I saw they were harmonious... but this kind of sudden situation is unpredictable, who would’ve thought Benzema would suddenly ignite?”

”Did Deschamps foment internal strife? Or was it Mael? Are these two one a dictator, and the other a palace intrigue master?”

”Are you blind? Wasn’t it Benzema who threw the captain armband? Stop arguing, wait for the final result.”

”...”

After a series of noisy discussions, all eyes were focused on the France team’s post-match press conference, which received unprecedented attention.

Inside the Poznan Stadium, a room filled with reporters and various long lenses and flashlights.

Mael and Deschamps sat calmly here, with answers ready and awaited questions from the journalists.

”Was it a very unpleasant match experience? What impact will this have on the team?” A reporter began with a question regarding the team’s overall situation.

”Perhaps.” Deschamps didn’t give a definite definition, raised his eyebrows and said, ”Losing is never pleasant; once there’s failure, many problems get exposed.