Evra dismisses Benzema ‘lies’

Patrice Evra has dismissed claims that racism influenced the decision to drop Karim Benzema from the France squad for Euro 2016, describing the accusations as “lies that have no basis”.

Benzema has faced a backlash since an interview with Spanish media on Wednesday in which he said national coach Didier Deschamps had “bowed to pressure from a racist part of France” by keeping him out of the hosts’ Euro 2016 squad.

“We are a country that loves controversies, it’s magnificent,” Evra said on Friday. “We like to talk about absolutely anything but we need to focus on what’s happening on the pitch.

“Nothing that has been said has hurt me because these are lies that have no basis. It needs to stop.

“I understand …

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