Karim Benzema 'embarrassed' for Gary Lineker and accuses former Tottenham striker of 'spreading hatred'
The BBC and BT Sport presenter labelled Benzema 'a tad overrated'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Karim Benzema hit back at Gary Lineker and accused him of “spreading hatred” and admitted he is “embarrassed” after the presenter’s comments about the Real Madrid forward.
The BBC and BT Sport presenter, who used to play for Barcelona and Real’s Champions League opponents on Wednesday Tottenham Hotspur, labelled Benzema “a tad overrated” after his failure to score in Spurs’ match at the Bernabeu a fortnight ago.
Lineker tweeted: “Is it me or is Benzema a tad overrated? A goal every other game in a team as strong as Real Madrid is nada especial. Decent not great.”
But ahead of the return match at Wembley, Benzema has hit back at Lineker and said former players should be more sympathetic as they have suffered the “same difficulties” during their playing careers.
“I find it harder to accept the criticism of former players who have gone on to become journalists and who spread their hatred around,” said the 29-year-old.
“They had the same difficulties, but have no solidarity. I feel embarrassed for him, frankly.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments