THE DEVIL AND THE BBC Much has been made of the BBC (Benzema, Bale and Chrstiano Ronaldo), the Real Madrid trio and Barcelona’s Bermuda Triangle of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. But I personally like watching the French team’s three musketeers of Ribery, Benzema and Nasri. If Les Bleus are going to make any impact in Brazil this summer, I feel that all three should start. FRANCK RIBÉRY Ribery has built a career as a tricky wide player who has become one of the best players in Europe. Fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler he has great control with the ball at his feet. Not the strongest, he also has temperament issues and can fall out with players and managers alike. Injury has also caused him problems. Once after scoring the winner for Olympique Marseille against bitter rivals PSG, he ran all the way to the bench and to the amazement of all concerned and to the delight of the home fans of mainly ethnic Algerian origin, he put on his track-bottom and prayed two Rakaats. The referee didn’t quite know what to make of it, for nowhere in the rulebook did it say that a player should be penalized for praying on the field. Common sense did prevail and he took the lesser of the 2 evils by only having a quiet word with Ribery about the need of not wasting time. Ribery is the joker of the pack when his team runs out of aces and he is well-known for his devilish pranks. An extremely popular member of the dressing room, no-one is safe from his antics and if anyone’s socks are missing or the toothpaste is squeezed into kit-bags, well, you don’t have to look very far to find out who is the culprit, do you? KARIM BENZEMA An immensely-talented striker, Benzema (due mainly to his Algerian heritage) was tipped to fill the boots of Zinedine Zidane for France and comparisons only gained pace when he signed for Real Madrid. Born in Lyon to Algerian parents, the North African nation did approach him about making himself available to them, but he declined saying: Algeria is in my heart but sporting-wise Im 100% French. With his international future sorted, his first four seasons as a professional at Lyon were nothing less than sensational, scoring goal upon goal in both Ligue 1 and Champions League. However, after sealing a £30 million deal to Real Madrid in July 2009, he was demoted to the bench by the excellent form up front of the Argentine Gonzalo Higuain and was overlooked for the 2010 France World Cup squad. It is this season that he has finally fulfilled his vast potential at Real. Strong and powerful, he has pace to burn and is a potent finisher from inside the box. Can look a little overawed on the big occasion and his first touch can let him down. SAMIR NASRI He is somewhat of an enigma. Intelligent, creative, patient, a stylish playmaker, Nasri boasts formidable technique and his vision and his imagination make him an unpredictable opponent. His passing and movement is excellent and his versatility is a real asset. He could be more potent in front of goal and Nasri often appears reluctant to track back and help out in defence. He needs to be more consistent if he is to reach the level of Fabregas.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:46:47 +0000
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