‘Don’t confuse F1 with go karting’: Karim Benzema takes a pop at Olivier Giroud as Real Madrid star is asked to compare himself to Chelsea man… after being replaced as France’s first-choice by the striker
- Karim Benzema has taunted fellow French striker Olivier Giroud on Intagram
- Benzema hasn’t played for France since 2015 when he was replaced with Giroud
- Real Madrid star likened himself to an F1 car and compared Giroud with a go kart
- Giroud and France reached the final of Euro 2016 and won the 2018 World Cup
Karim Benzema has taken a swipe at Olivier Giroud, implying the Chelsea striker who replaced him in the France national team is an inferior player.
The 32-year-old has not played for Les Blues since 2015 when manager Didier Deschamps selected Giroud instead of the Real Madrid forward.
Now Benzema has used an unflattering analogy to describe the difference in quality between the two players.
Karim Benzema derided Olivier Giroud in an Instagram live video with actor Tomas N’Gijol
‘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.
Benzema implied that he performs like an F1 car whereas Giroud is a go kart
‘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 the marksman was dropped despite scoring two goals in his last game against Armenia in November 2015.
In the meantime, 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.
Benzema scored two goals against Armenia before being replaced in November 2015
The 33-year-old 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 as before France lost to Portugal in the final of Euro 2016 and he played an influential role as Les Blues won the 2018 World Cup.
Chelsea forward Giroud started in every match as France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia
