If Karim Benzema fires France to glory in Brazil, a large part of it will be down to the man who played a key role in Les Bleus’ only World Cup triumph.
Benzema leads the French scoring charts in South America with three goals, plus two assists, and after missing out in 2010 and disappointing at Euro 2012, is finally showing his abilities on the grandest stage.
Much of that, he claims, is to do with the mentoring role Zidane played as Real Madrid assistant coach last season.
As No2 to Carlo Ancelotti the legend of France 1998 – who scored twice in the final in Paris – had the ear of both the dressing room and the manager, and was often a source of knowledge and advice.
Most of all to Benzema, whose time in the Spanish capital looked to be coming to an end, or was at least uncertain.
However, with Zidane’s guidance Benzema scored 24 goals in 52 games for Los Blancos, enjoyed his first ever Champions League title, and has now continued that form into the World Cup where France meet Germany in the quarter-finals on Friday.
“I owe so much to him. I can always talk to him at any time. I think he is the greatest player who ever lived, so his advice is invaluable,” said Benzema. “His door is always open to me and he is happy to talk any time. He has given me so many tips and so much advice. If I succeed in Brazil, a lot of it will be down to Zinedine.”
As well as having a French World Cup winner to talk to day-to-day, Benzema and his international team-mates are also, of course, managed by the man who lifted the trophy at the Stade de France 16 years ago.
Didier Deschamps, in 10 matches as player and coach, has never lost a World Cup tie, and provides a youthful French team with the necessary experience.
“That’s not something he talks about too much. We all know he has done it and we all respect him hugely as a player, but being a player and a coach are two different things,” Benzema told adidas.
“He happens to be good at both. Having said that, his experience at World Cups, and of winning the World Cup, that can’t harm us.
“He has been there and done that, so when he says something in a team talk, you know it is from experience, from having been there and done that himself. Hopefully when the pressure is on in this tournament he can use that to our advantage.”
Deschamps, who succeeded Laurent Blanc after Euro 2012, has rejected the notion that France were favourites against Germany, but at the same time made clear his team weren’t going to Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana “as tourists”.
“We’re going there to give it everything we’ve got,” he said.
Reflecting on France’s progress through to the last eight after topping their first round group he stated: “We haven’t made a mess of our World Cup.
“I’m very proud and the players deserve it, it’s a huge pleasure for me and my staff to be involved on a daily basis with them and to manage them, to be with them.
“But we’re not going there (to Rio de Janeiro) as tourists on Friday.”
He downplayed any lingering significance of the memorable 1982 World Cup semi-final between the two teams – in which Germany keeper Harald Schumacher shoulder-charged Patrick Battiston, leaving the Frenchman unconscious.
“They (his players) weren’t even born then, what would I speak to them about?” he said.
