“The Ballon d’Or is not the Nobel Peace Prize” – France Football director Pascal Ferre makes interesting claim about Benzema’s off-field reputation impacting his award chances

France Football director Pascal Ferre believes Karim Benzema's off-field reputation will not affect the Real Madrid star's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or.

The award ceremony, conducted by France Football, is set to take place on Monday (October 17) in Paris. Benzema is an overwhelming favorite to win the award - a belief shared by his counterpart Robert Lewandowski.

However, there have been questions about whether he is the right person to give the award to given his off-field controversy involving Mathieu Valbuena. The two were teammates for the French national team before a high-profile scandal erupted in 2015.

The Real Madrid striker was suspended from the French national team after he was said to have blackmailed Valbuena with a sex tape. Last year, a court found the former Olympique Lyonnais striker guilty of complicity in the incident.

Ferre, however, does not believe off-pitch behavior should matter to an extent where the Frenchman could miss out on a potential Ballon d'Or award. He told EFE in an interview (h/t Marca):

"I think that has already been taken into account by the juries but I don't think it is an essential element. The Ballon d'Or is not the Nobel Peace Prize, they have voted on eleven months of competition."

The striker is coming off the back of a memorable 2021-22 season with Real Madrid. He scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists in 46 games across competitions as his team won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

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Real Madrid eye Inter Milan striker as potential Karim Benzema replacement

Real Madrid are eyeing Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez as a potential long-term replacement for Karim Benzema, as per Calciomercatoweb.

The French striker is 34 years old and arguably in the last few years of his playing career. While it is believed Benzema's current contract will automatically be extended by another year if he wins the Ballon d'Or, Madrid still need a contingency plan for when he leaves.

Martinez, 25, could be the man to take up the mantle from the French striker in the near future. He has scored 78 goals and provided 26 assists in 194 games for I Nerazzurri since leaving Racing Club in the summer of 2018.