Benzema axed to avoid upsetting French ‘spirit’

Karim Benzema was axed from France’s Euro 2016 squad so as not to “disrupt the spirit” in the national squad, French football chief Noel Le Graet told sports daily L’Equipe yesterday.
The French Football Federation (FFF) president added that the Real Madrid striker had “done something really stupid” over the Mathieu Valbuena sextape affair.
The 28-year-old forward was indefinitely suspended from the France team in December after he was placed under criminal investigation over an attempt to blackmail France teammate Valbuena in relation to a sex-tape.  
Benzema has been accused of complicity in the attempt. Legal restrictions barring Benzema from coming into contact with Valbuena were recently lifted, but on Wednesday the FFF announced that, even so, he would not be selected for the June 10-July 10 tournament.
Le Graet, in an interview published on L’Equipe’s website, said: “The deciding factor was the way the squad got on during the training camp (in March).
“We felt there was a strong harmony. On the pitch, we felt they were conducting themselves so well that it wasn’t worth taking the risk of disrupting that spirit.”
He reported that Benzema had been shaken up at the decision when he was told of it by France coach Didier Deschamps. “After speaking to Karim Didier told me he was very, very, very sad,” Le Graet reported. Reflecting on the Valbuena case, Le Graet said: “I hope first of all that this affair results in a dismissal of the charges for Karim. Let me repeat, I’ve a lot of affection for him. But here, all the same, he’s done something really stupid.”
According to investigators, Benzema was approached by a childhood friend from Lyon, Karim Zenati, who asked him to persuade Valbuena to pay money to have the tape destroyed. Instead, Valbuena went to the police.
Three men were arrested and held in custody over the demands to Valbuena, but they were subsequently released. Benzema has denied any wrongdoing but could face a five-year jail term if found guilty.
The affair has gone right to the top of government in France, with Prime Minister Manuel Valls saying last month that Benzema should not be allowed to return to the national team while he remains at the centre of the investigation.

US judge defers setting FIFA trial date
The US judge overseeing the sweeping FIFA corruption scandal yesterday postponed setting a trial date until after prosecutors share the bulk of evidence being collated in the massive investigation.
Judge Raymond Dearie ruled after government prosecutors proposed an “aggressive but achievable” schedule that would have worked towards jury selection beginning February 27, 2017 in New York.
But defense lawyers on Wednesday raised numerous objections in a case that currently has eight defendants already in the United States awaiting trial under house arrest and extradition requests pending for another nine.
“As anxious as I am to move the case forward toward trial, ongoing discovery and related complications, including the relatively recent arrival of some defendants, make the selection of a trial date unrealistic,” Dearie said. He said the court will revisit the question of a trial date after June 30, by which time prosecutors plan to submit evidence in the case to the court.
But prosecutors also conceded Wednesday that while they expect to turn over evidence currently in their possession by then, they expect more data to come in before and after June 30. In all, 40 officials and marketing executives are accused of soliciting and receiving tens of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks in a case that has sparked an unprecedented crisis at FIFA.
Fifteen individuals have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with US prosecutors in exchange for a possible reduction in sentence.

Portugal’s Coentrao ruled out of Euro 2016
Portugal left-back Fabio Coentrao will miss Euro 2016 with a thigh injury that will require surgery, his club Monaco announced.
Coentrao, on loan from Real Madrid until the end of the season, sustained the injury during training last week and is expected to be sidelined for at least three months.
The 28-year-old will head to Finland next week to undergo an operation, ruling him out of Portugal’s finals campaign where they have been drawn alongside Austria, Hungary and Iceland in Group F.

West Ham in £2.5 million-a-year Olympic Stadium deal
West Ham move home to the Olympic Stadium in August at a cost of £2.5million ($3.54 million) per year, it was revealed yesterday.
The Premier League side have taken up a 99-year tenancy agreement with The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). West Ham’s new landlords will meet running costs for the centrepiece of the London 2012 Games for areas such as the pitch, goalposts, floodlighting and corner flags.
The stadium is also to host the 2017 IAAF and IPC Athletics World Championships and there is a 50-year agreement for British Athletics to use the venue each July.
West Ham won the bid to be lead tenants of the 60,000-seat arena ahead of Tottenham and Leyton Orient. The transformation of the venue from its Olympic and Paralympic condition cost £272 million, with West Ham contributing £15 million.
The Hammers will pay an annual rent of £2.5 million for 25 matches - or £1.25 million if they fall out of the top flight - with a £100,000 fee for any additional match.
Performance-related payments are in place for positions from 10th (£25,000) to first in the Premier League. Finishing from first to fifth would result in a payment of £100,000.
The Hammers, who are the sole beneficiaries of ticket sales, are currently sixth in the Premier League.
A payment of £250,000 is required for qualifying for the Champions League group stages - and £1 million for winning the European Cup. Winning the FA Cup or Europa League would cost £100,000; qualifying for the Europa League also costs £100,000.