Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann has defended Olivier Giroud after Karim Benzema branded the Chelsea player a ‘go-kart’ player.
Benzema, who has been exiled from the France national side in recent years, aimed a dig at Giroud, saying he was Formula 1 and his rival striker was ‘go-kart’.
‘You don’t compare Formula 1 with karting, and I am being nice,’ Benzema said on Instagram live, which provoked a backlash from supporters defending Giroud.
Griezmann won the World Cup with Olivier Giroud and has leapt to the defence of his team-mate, while refusing to comment much on Benzema’s jibe.
‘I can’t answer all that, that could get me into trouble,’ Griezmann said on Twitch.
‘I love Olivier Giroud, he’s a good player and he helped us win the World Cup. And that’s important in life.’
Benzema even spoke further on his comments, refusing to withdraw the disparaging comparison.
‘About Giroud, I simply told the truth’ Benzema said. ‘But we didn’t remember what I said about him, especially about what he brings to the French national team.
‘We just remembered the moment when I said I was F1 and he was karting. That’s what I think, that’s the truth, and that’s how it is.’
The Real Madrid man hasn’t been selected for the French team in five years, while Giroud has been a regular in the team.
Giroud was part of the French team that lifted the World Cup in 2018, receiving huge praise from his team-mates despite not getting a single goal in the tournament.
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