Chelsea star Olivier Giroud could be in for an awkward reunion with Karim Benzema this summer.
That's because Benzema is now set to return to the French national team squad for this summer's Euro 2020 having been away from the squad for six years
Benzema fell out of favour due to alleged involvement in an attempt to blackmail former teammate Matthieu Valbuena in a 'sex tape' scandal. That saw him suspended by the French Football Federation back in 2015.
His exile meant he missed France's World Cup success of 2018, while Giroud helped his national side along to the biggest achievement there is.
But Benzema is now reportedly headed back into the fold having put together an excellent season for Real Madrid, scoring 29 and just one goal away from the best scoring season of his career.
Though, that could make for a frosty reunion with fellow frontman Giroud after the Real Madrid star went to town on Giroud in social media posts in 2020.
He said: “This won’t take long. You don’t confuse F1 with go-karting. And I’m being kind. Next… and I know I’m F1.
“It works because he’s there. That’s all. It’s not going to be spectacular, it’s not going to be anything crazy but in his way you see more of Griezmann or Mbappe because he will put the work in.
“Does everyone like that way of playing? I don’t know.”
Benzema later added: "About Giroud, I simply told the truth.
“But we didn’t remember what I said about him, especially about what he brings to the French national team.
“We just remembered the moment when I said I was F1 and he was karting. That’s what I think, that’s the truth, and that’s how it is.”
Giroud responded to that criticism by saying: "At the time, when I was unfairly criticised because of Karim's absence, it hurt me.
"I continued to prove that I deserved my place and that this supposed rivalry with Karim was created from scratch by some people.
"I had nothing to do with it, we just play the same position. It happened but I reacted well to these difficulties."
The two haven't crossed paths since, aside from a brief appearance from Giroud in the second leg of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid earlier this month.
But they may now be asked to work together and patch things together this summer with France hoping to add a European crown to their World Cup victory in 2018.
