” I’ve never sung the anthem and I will not start doing it now. By singing (La Marseillaise) I will not score a hat-trick, I think , “said Karim Benzema, as if lying peacefully on his couch watching a football game.
These statements sat as a stomach pump to the French extreme right, which reacted immediately through the National Front party (FN) and Domand Eric, sports affairs adviser of former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen , went on the attack. ” Karim Benzema does not realise the value of the Marseillaise as he is not entirely passionate about the country”.
Benzema argues that his peers have not sung, one of which is Zidane . “Zinedine Zidane, and many fans also sang the verses of the song. And there are others. I do not see where the problem is. ” The problem with loading the Real Madrid striker, at least for the French far right, is the Algerian origin. It is true that Karim was born in Lyon, but for the ultraconservative that’s not a reason to be a know French, but a player with a “cowardly motivation and patriotism.”
It’s not the first time that Domand has hit out Benzema. He accused him of being a soccer mercenary because of his high salary, located at 1844 euros per hour. If something bothers the French far right is that they pretend to despise Gauls national symbols, such as the case of Karim. Nor is the first time that the forums on the websites go on racist against French players of Arab or African origin. The National Front’s founder and father of the current president,Jean-Marie Le Pen , considered as early as 1996 that it was ” artificial bring players from abroad and call the France team . ”
However, Benzema claims that he is no less of a French by not signing the Marseillaise. The striker has always been committed to the gala selection. It’s his right, like all the fans who do not want to sing it, however, his remarks have caused a controversy, unfortunately.
Courtesy: laciudaddeportiva