French flop Benzema pays for costly error

As Karim Benzema sits down today to book his summer holiday, fresh in the knowledge that he won’t be at this year’s World Cup with France, I wonder will it play on his mind the decision he made last summer to join his apparently ‘beloved’ Real Madrid instead of Manchester United.

The Reds had coveted the talented finisher for a number of years as he led the line for Lyon, who dominated the French League in the noughties.

However, last summer when the United transfer kitty was apparently bulging after the exit of Ronaldo to Madrid, the English club were outbid by the Spanish giants for the French striker.

Benzema had his heart set on Madrid, despite being keen on a move to United the previous year, but I’m sure the extra zeros on the contract at the Bernabeu helped him change his mind.

A lot was expected of Benzema, he cost €35million and it was presumed he would lead the line for the Galacticos with the experienced Raul coming to the end of his illustrious career.

However, he has only featured mainly as a substitute this season with his cameo appearances only bringing 8 goals in a La Liga campaign which Madrid have scored goals for fun at stages.

It came as no surprise to me then yesterday when Raymond Domenech left Benzema out of France’s World Cup squad for South Africa.

Domenech has made some crazy decisions during his tenure as boss of France but, while some may be disappointed by his decision to leave the striker out, the majority will understand why.

Strikers need to have confidence and going into the World Cup they need to be in form, Benzema is not, but it could have been so different.

Last summer he took a professional risk. He saw the money at Madrid. He saw the revolution that was taking place and he wanted in but it proved to be a costly error for his career, if not his pocket.

United had lost a 35 goals-a-season midfielder and were in desperate need of added firepower, Benzema was their target and was seen as an excellent strike partner for Wayne Rooney.

The Frenchman was sure to be a regular starter at Old Trafford, obviously as long as he settled in well, and he could now be heading to meet up with his international team-mates to prepare for the biggest stage in world football.

But yet again we have another footballer who would rather risk sitting on the bench with a fat pay cheque than the guarantee of first team football elsewhere.

It’s not like United are a small club, and maybe with Benzema they would now be celebrating winning the title but, with Sir Alex Ferguson apparently thinking of another attempt to lure him to Old Trafford this summer, maybe he should think twice about trying to sign the French flop, using last year as an eye-opener to Benzema’s real hunger for money rather than football.