Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has taken a swipe at Olivier Giroud, describing the former Arsenal striker who replaced him in the France national team is an inferior player.
Benzema, 32, has not played for France since 2015 when manager Didier Deschamps selected Giroud instead of the former Lyon forward.
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Now Benzema has used an unflattering analogy to describe the difference in quality between the two players.
“This won’t take long,” Benzema told French actor and comedian Thomas N’Gijol in an Instagram live video.
“You don’t confuse F1 with go karting. And I’m being kind. Next… and I know i’m F1.”
“It works because he’s there. That’s all. It’s not going to be spectacular, it’s not going to be anything crazy but in his way you see more of a (Antoine) Griezmann or (Kylian) Mbappe because he will put the work in.
“Does everyone like that way of playing? I don’t know.”
Benzema registered 27 goals and 18 assists in 81 appearances after making his international debut in 2007.
But he was dropped despite scoring two goals in his last game against Armenia in November 2015.
The introduction of Giroud added a different dimension to a team that had failed to progress beyond the quarter-final stage in the previous three major tournaments.
Giroud 33-year-old Chelsea forward has provided 39 goals and 10 assists in 97 total appearances, 29 of those 39 were scored after Benzema’s exclusion.
While France have not been directly reliant on Giroud for goals, it would seem Deschamps’ decision to replace Benzema has been justified.
Giroud registered three goals and two assists before France lost to Portugal in the final of Euro 2016 and he played an instrumental role as Les Blues won the 2018 World Cup.
At Madrid, Benzema has won LaLiga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
On his part, Giroud won Ligue 1 with Montpellier, three FA Cups at Arsenal and the Community Shield.
And at Chelsea he won the FA Cup and the Europa League.
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