The 33-12 months-antique's skills on the pitch is indisputable, he has a swathe of league titles with each Lyon and Real Madrid in addition to 4 Champions League trophies.
Yet his talent for becoming embroiled in off the sphere controversies has handiest fuelled the opinion of many in France that he's greater hassle than he is well worth.
That was in reality the view of France coach Didier Deschamps who until a surprise name-up for this year's Euro 2020 finals stored him out in the bloodless for 5-and-a-half of years due to the intercourse-tape allegations.
The don't forget was even more unexpected given Deschamps were at the give up of unfounded allegations made by Benzema while he was unnoticed from the Euro 2016 finals squad hosted by way of France.
Deschamps had "yielded to pressure from a racist birthday celebration in France," railed Benzema, who's appealing Wednesday's sentence over his complicity in the bid to blackmail former France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.
The results of his phrases impacted on Deschamps, whose house in Brittany become daubed with paint with the inscription 'racist'.
"It's a stain," Deschamps advised radio station RTL in January.
"Even if with time it calms down a bit, I can't overlook.
"It's now not just about Karim Benzema. There are statements by different human beings too which have brought about this violent act, which influences my own family."
