Karim Benzema accuses Didier Deschamps of 'bowing to racists' with France squad selection

Benzema, of Algerian heritage, was excluded from the France squad after being charged in relation to an alleged plot to blackmail team-mate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape.

However, Nice playmaker Hatem Ben Arfa, who has been in sensational form in Ligue 1 this season and whose father is Tunisian, was also left out of France’s squad for the tournament on home soil after only making the standby list.

Eric Cantona recently suggested in an interview with the Guardian that the two players could have been excluded on racial grounds - an allegation that brought a threat of legal action from the France coach.

When asked if he was suggesting Deschamps had discriminated against the pair, Cantona replied:“Maybe no, but maybe yes. Why not? One thing is for sure – Benzema and Ben Arfa are two of the best players in France and will not play the European Championship. And for sure, Benzema and Ben Arfa, their origins are north African. So, the debate is open.”

Benzema has now followed up Cantona’s claims by suggesting that Deschamps’ squad selection could have been influenced by the rise of the far-right Front Nationale party, which secured almost 30% of the vote in regional elections in December.

"He has bowed to the pressure of a racist part of France," Benzema told Marca. "He has to know that in France the extremist party reached the second round in the last two elections.

"I do not know, therefore, whether it is a decision only for Didier because I've gotten along with him, with the president, everyone."

Benzema also felt his exclusion was unjustifiable on sporting grounds after a season in which he won the Champions League with Real Madrid and scored 28 goals in all competitions.

"In sporting terms, I do not understand why," Benzema said. "At the judicial level, I have not been judged. I am not guilty, so we have to wait to see what the justice says.

"I like football and to play with my team."