Tidbits: Benzema Injured, Transfers, and Internationals
By: Inara | March 24th, 2008For your perusal, the latest news out of Lyon:
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Karim Benzema injured his knee last night against PSG. A scan revealed that he had twisted it slightly and will require between two to three weeks on the sidelines. Another scan will be taken next week to reassess the damage. This news is reassuring not only for Benzema but also for the fans because the injury looked a lot more serious. My heart was literally in my throat when I saw Zoumana Camara’s studs go down on Benzema’s ankle, and for a brief moment, I had flashbacks to Eduardo’s injury.
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Despite the fact that Fred has had troubled relations with the club, he is interested in extending his contract and staying at Lyon. Fred’s contract ends in 2009. Aulas has responded positively to Fred but has yet to comment on Hatem Ben Arfa’s desire to remain.
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According to Barcelona loan out Marc Crosas , he would like it known that he wants to stay at Lyon for at least another year. And according to him, both Ben Arfa and Benzema are taking Spanish lessons. Uhhh. Keep that kind of information to yourself, okay Marc?
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Eww. Arsene is back. On a show about Hatem Ben Arfa on Telefoot, when asked if he were interested in him, Wenger replied, “Yes, if he’s transferable.” Geez, Arsene, isn’t Ben Arfa a little too old for your tastes? Anyway, the answer is NO.
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Despite the impression that this year has been a poor one, Lyon have accumulated 64 points so far this season. At this point last season, Lyon had 66 points, and the season before, they had 65. Unlike last year, where Lyon had a great beginning but a poor end to the season, this year, it looks to be the exact opposite.
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Lyon are almost done with a string of games you can only call a gauntlet. This March, Lyon have faced Lille, Bordeaux, Monaco, and PSG in the league, as well as Manchester United in the Champions League and Sochaux in the French Cup. Still to come are Valenciennes and Marseille. But after two weeks, there are no more difficult fixtures for Lyon. Of course Rennes, Caen, and Nancy are always tricky, but they’ll be home games for Lyon. The away trips to Nice, Strasbourg, and Auxerre should be comfortably dealt with.
However, those hoping for second and third place have more challenging schedules ahead of them. Bordeaux have to play Marseille, Nice, and Nancy, all of whom are their direct rivals. Likewise, Marseille have a gauntlet of their own, with Lyon, Lille, Monaco, and Bordeaux looming on their horizons. See schedules here: Lyon, Bordeaux, Nancy, Marseille, and Nice.
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Yesterday, the lots were drawn for the Coupe de France quarterfinals. Of the four match ups, Lyon’s game against Metz (which will be at the Gerland) is the only one featuring two top flight sides. Certainly, many people are breathing a bit easier since Metz is essentially like a Ligue 2 side, but Lyon have a long history of mucking up, so Metz could be a potential banana skin. The other games planned are Amiens vs. Dijon, Carquefou vs. PSG, and Bordeaux vs. Sedan.
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Juninho, currently Lyon’s seventh all time scorer, notched his 89th league goal for Lyon yesterday. He is two goals away from Nestor Combin (91 goals) and Sonny Anderson (94 goals), who are in fifth and sixth place, respectively. This is a huge achievement for Juninho, who has been at Lyon for only 6 and half years and is a midfielder to boot. Sidney Govou, who scored his 69th goal for Lyon, is in tenth place.
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International Call Ups:
France (vs. Mali - 03/25/08, vs. England - 03/26/08): Gregory Coupet, Sebastien Squillaci, Francois Clerc, Anthony Reveillere, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Jeremy Toulalan, Mathieu Bodmer, Sidney Govou, Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfaand loan out Loic Remy. This is the first call up for Bodmer and Remy (full list here).
Sweden (vs. Brazil - 03/26/08): Kim Kallstrom (full list here).
Czech Republic (vs. Denmark - 03/26/08): Milan Baros (full list here).
Italy (vs. Spain - 03/26/08): Fabio Grosso (full list here).
Ivory Coast (vs. Tunisia - 03/26/08): Kader Keita (full list here)
Switzerland (vs. Germany - 03/26/08): Patrick Muller will miss out due to injury (full list here).
Brazil (vs. Sweden - 03/26/08): Fred hasn’t been call up…but you know he be will soon!
France U21 (vs. Czech Republic - 03/26/08): Sandy Paillot (full list here). This is Paillot’s first call up to the U21 team.
France U19 (vs. Republic of Ireland - 03/25/08 and 03/27/08): Romain Dedola, Jérémy Pied (full list here).
France U17 (vs. England - 03/25/08, vs. Israel - 03/27/08, vs. Russia - 03/30/08): Sebastien Faure, Enzo Reale, Clement Grenier, Alexandre Lacazette, and Yannis Tafer (full list here).
Category: French Cups (CdL, CdF, TdC), Internationals, Karim Benzema, Player News and Rumors, Transfers
Tags: Arsene Wenger, CdF, Fred, French Cup, French Cups (CdL, Hatem Ben Arfa, Injuries, Internationals, Karim Benzema, Lyon, Marc Crosas, Metz, Player News and Rumors, TdC), TransfersSubscribe
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Comments
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Hopefully Ben Arfa will realise that he’ll most likely be on the bench at Arsenal, more so than at Lyon. Left wing they have Rosicky and Hleb.
Posted from
Ireland
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See Barca want to sign Collocini now since the Garay thing fell through? I wish we had got Collocini in January.
Posted from
Ireland -
God the English media is so annoying. They’ve latched on to the Ben Arfa rumors, which are everywhere this morning. Some papers rate Ben Arfa at 12m pounds, others 17m pounds, but with the belief that Wenger actually has a chance.
And they feature a totally out of context quote from Ben Arfa’s interview from a few days ago. In the original, he said that he wasn’t happy to be sitting on the bench, but he respects the choices of the coach and wants to get his place back.
English media have now twisted it to “I’m not happy at Lyon.” They also conveniently left out the part that he wants to extend his contract.
So FRUSTRATING. And so typical of Wenger to destabilize an already unsettled player right in the middle of delicate contract negotiations and before France plays against England. He likes his mind games, like most French coaches.
Posted from
United States -
Ronald Here.
Arsene should just stay quiet for the moment. He’s in a bad state of mind at the moment ( with Arsenal losing it at the very end of the season ), he needs to stop including peoples name in anything. Plus, he does have Hleb and Rosiscky ( who have been with the club longer ) why not stick with those.
And Inara…please stop showing that picture of Karim on the Floor twisting in pain, it hearts my soul just glancing at it.
Posted from
United States -
Was Remy really called up to the full team? I cant find it anywhere… if so congratulations to him!
No Said Mehama or Loic Abenzoar for the u-19? No Mathieu Salamand or Yann Ekra for the u-17? Also, Inara, you left out Maxime Gonalons for the u-17 team, he is listed as a defender even though he is a DM. Good luck to the young lads, they are the future of Lyon.
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United States -
Inara, you missed out on JMA’s hillarious tirade against Camara saying in substance “I hope this injury [Karim Benzema's] gets as much media interest as Wendel’s, because he’s more important and will be out for longer”.
Oh, and the fact that the injuries stemmed from completely different events was lost on him. I guess Camara’s jump and bad luck of landing briefly on Benzema’s foot (he removed it ASAP) was similar in his eyes as Reveillère’s take on Taylor’s tackle.
Posted from
France -
Haha, Aulas. You stay classy, Jean-Mimi.
Posted from
United States -
Camra is idiot. Stupid PSG idiot. He things that he is popular now when he broke our gold, Karim Benzema. He might felt that that injury can hurt Lyon. I msut say to you, Camara, only these : You are stupid. Lyon have Fred, Govou, Keita Bodmer,. Juni and other quality players. We are in pain now when Benzema is off, but let’s be honest Fred can fill in, and with Keita and Govou ( or Ben Arfa ) on the flank we are strong as much we are strong with Benz. We must stop dramatise about Benz injury. Let’s turn next page. Last season we didn’t have Benz, but we have Fred, Wiltord or even Baros. Now we don’t have Benz, but we have Fred nad other guys who have quality to defet every team in France.
Posted from
United States -
Ush do you think that Ben Arfa deserve place in first team, because Perrin can’t put Keita on bench, he is to good, and Govou is older and have more experience in harder games? Well Ben Arfa is exellent player, who is exellent on one on ones, example Rennes - Lyon 0-2, second goal of Les Gones. Ben Arfa scores that goal. He past four Rennes player, like they are not there and score beautiful far corner goal, but when is important he is not on the leve. Govou, for example scores against PSG for 3-2, Keita scores against Monaco for 0-1 …
Posted from
United States -
Well Benz being injured cuts down the left wing to Delgado and Ben Arfa. I say rotate them till Ben Arfa gets better at passing to people. I would rotate Govou and Keita on the right also. World class sides need to have depth in the squad and be able rest people at appropriate times. The wings are a decent place to rotate players as its the creative element not a position that has to be always dependable like defenders and playmakers. If someone is looking stagnant or lazy, sub them. Gotta say though, Keitas on fire lately.
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United States -
Team against Mali has been released. Boumsong will be captaining the A’ side, and Bodmer and Reveillere will be starting.
Squillaci and Ben Arfa are on the bench. Hmm. Squillaci I can understand, because using him would have made that backline nearly all Lyonnais, but Ben Arfa to be benched on the A’ team has gotta suck when last time, he was chosen to play against Spain on the A team. Look, Perrin, what you did!
Tomorrow, it’s all but confirmed that Toulalan, Coupet, and probably Clerc (unless Ray decides to put L. Diarra at RB) who will be starting. I would not be surprised to see Govou start over Malouda. It could happen.
Posted from
United States -
loic Remy and Ben Arfa got subbed in.
Posted from
United States -
Not the subject, but I’m really chocked about that :
Thierry Gilardi is dead.
50 years, Heart attack.
He was to me the best TF1 football journalist for a very long time…
He was on air last sunday for Telefoot, and had to comment the tomorrow game France / Angleterre.RIP Thierry
Posted from
France -
lyon is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted from
United States -
Thats really sad Jo, I have read a few of his pieces before, and although I do not understand French, he had a good voice for commentating. He will be sadly missed, RIP.
Posted from
United States -
Anyone else notice that sorta wry smile on Freds face in that Benzema injury pic?? Haha, I’m just shit stirring, don’t mind me!
Posted from
Ireland -
RIP Thierry Galardi. Best in the business, especially when he was at Canal+. I grew up listening to him when he was at Canal+. Sad to see him go. Hopefully France can win this one for him.
Posted from
United States -
There will be a silent minut for him, tonight, and french players will have a black armband.
I remember him especially for his comment on WC 06 final, when Zidane did “the thing” (I don’t want to mention it, I just try to forget).
I was on Place Bellecour, at Lyon, with something like 10 000 people around me.
Everybody was greating Zidane (I’m still wondering why…) and he was the only one we could hear who said “ouh Zinedine. Pas ça. Pas aujourd’hui, pas maintenant”.
You can hear it on this “funny” advertising :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlsmdTBpTHE&eurl=http://www.mynrj.com/web/displayVideoPage.do?method=displayVideoDetails&contentId=external3186&visitedUid=3703&pPosted from
France -
Fred’s a scumbag. An utter spoiled baby. I really could care less if he scored a goal a game. I wish he would’ve left at the transfer window. And the fact that Perrin is rewarding him by playing him and Benz out of postion, upsets me. I hope they are just giving him playing time in order to raise his value for a future sale.
The thing that infuriates me most, is that I’ve seen him quit on plays. What a difference in attitude and maturity between him and Benzema. I would rather have Baros, at least he plays his ass off.Posted from
Costa Rica -
John, you must be on easy word about Fred. Why is he stupid for you? Maybe he pretend that he is injured, that was stupid thats for sure, but he apolosige to Aulas and Perrin, the team accepted a ”new” Fred. And we now look that ”new” Fred. He scores with easy and when it needs that. Example Bordeaux, Lille, PSG, maybe he faild to score against ManU, Anad he assist to Tevez, when ManU scores for draw. So you must give him another chance. Don’t do it for Fred, do it for Lyon.
Posted from
United States -
I was absolutely gutted to hear about Gilardi. Like Corey, I don’t understand much French, but from what I did, he was definitely one of the best out there. My thoughts are with his family.
John: I have to agree, Fred can be a douchebag. But a lot of good players are, and I guess the club decided that Fred’s goals are more important than any boy scout qualities. But you’re right, when things don’t go Fred’s way, he loses steam, whereas Benzema will keep going until the last second possible. That might be youthful enthusiasm though. Unlike Fred and a lot of other strikers, Benzema isn’t jaded yet and believes anything is possible if you work - and wish - hard enough.
Posted from
United States -
Both of you have wright, Inara and John, but Fred have inspiration to play and to score goals. First is that he wants score 20-25 goals for just one team, nad that is Lyon, that he sas for L’Equipe. Second he wants to extend hsi contract also with one team, and that is Lyon. So we must give him another chanece to prove himself. He has a good game against Lille, Bordeaux, PSG and Metz. I think that he is jaded because he has a lot of injures, and his wife left him, he lost a child. Come on, after that every person is in pain, and look like shit on the field. He is good and I belive that he will be even better than now. Kiss form Croatia
Posted from
United States
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