Olivier Giroud has hit back at compatriot Karim Benzema and labelled himself a “world champion go-kart”.
The pair have become embroiled in a spat on social media after the Real Madrid star took aim at the man who starts in attack for France.
Benzema has not been selected for the national team following the blackmail scandal involving him and Mathieu Valbuena.
Since then France have won the World Cup with Giroud leading the line, although Benzema has called him a “go-kart” while comparing himself to “Formula 1”.
But the Chelsea forward has responded by telling Befoot: What am I, a go-kart? A world champion go-kart.”
(Image: Bagu Blanco/BPI/REX/Shutterstock)
Giroud started six out of the seven games in Russia as Les Blues won their second World Cup.
The 33-year-old has scored 39 goals at international level – 12 more than Benzema.
But the Real Madrid man has since moved to clarify his comments and insists they were taken out of context.
“Some people only took away things about Giroud and Formula 1 [from the live broadcast], but they didn’t remark what I said about what he’d brought to the French national team,” claimed Benzema.
“They only focused on that, on what I said about Formula 1 and go-karting, but it’s what I think and it’s the truth.
(Image: Reuters)
“Look, if I was asked about R9 [Ronaldo Nazario], then he would be the Formula 1 and I would be the go-kart. Short and simple.”
Benzema’s chances of making a France return seem bleak, especially while Didier Deschamps is at the helm.
“Some people can give speeches that can have consequences that go beyond any form of understanding, and I can never forget that,” Deschamps said last year.
“At that moment I considered that a line had been crossed. I pick French players, all of them are French and it has never occurred to me to not select someone based on their color or religion.
“And in the same way the other way around, I would never pick someone based on the same criteria, because that would just as bad or worse.”
