Twenty years after Karim Benzema’s controversial comments about representing France rather than Algeria, his former agent Karim Djaziri has offered an explanation of what the striker intended to say.

Speaking on RMC, Djaziri said Benzema’s words had been misunderstood and were meant to describe the continuation of his footballing career, rather than a rejection of his Algerian heritage.

The comments were made in 2006, when Benzema was an emerging forward at Olympique Lyonnais who had yet to make his senior debut for France. Because his parents came from Algeria, he was also eligible to represent the Fennecs.

His decision to play for France prompted contrasting reactions in both countries. Some in France interpreted his remarks as a rejection of the country where he had grown up. In Algeria, they reflected a mixture of pride and frustration at seeing a highly regarded player acknowledge his roots without choosing to wear the national team’s shirt.

Djaziri was asked whether Benzema’s original statement could reasonably have been considered offensive. In defending his former client, he argued that the future Ballon d’Or 2022 winner was referring only to the natural progression of his sporting career.

That explanation provides context, but it does not entirely remove the unease surrounding the words used at the time.

For many supporters in France, Algeria and elsewhere, international football represents more than a professional decision. Playing for a country can also express national belonging, identification with its colours and a powerful emotional connection.

Seen in that light, Benzema’s comments could be regarded as clumsy, even if they were not intended to deny his Algerian background.

Choosing France did not require Benzema to reject his origins. The two aspects of his identity were not mutually exclusive, and there is nothing in the account to suggest he felt no pride in representing France.

However, Djaziri’s explanation, delivered two decades later, does not alter the impact the original declaration had on those who heard it.

The remarks repeatedly resurfaced during Benzema’s international career, particularly when his relationship with the France team became strained. His difficulties with the national side were primarily associated with the sextape affair and his tensions with Didier Deschamps, but the comments from his younger years also contributed to questions about his attachment to Les Bleus.

Benzema eventually made 97 appearances for France, scoring 37 goals. He was also part of the squad that won the Ligue des nations in 2021.