‘It’s a lie’: Real Madrid’s Ancelotti denies Benzema return plea،
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has denied reports he has asked the club to bring back Karim Benzema.
Benzema, 36, left the Bernabeu after 14 years last summer and joined Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad as a free agent.
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However, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner is unstable in the Gulf country and wants to return to Europe.
Asked about reports that he had asked Madrid president Florentino Pérez to re-sign Benzema, but that the top club had refused, Ancelotti told his press conference on Friday: “It's a lie. We don't We haven't discussed it with the club.”
Ancelotti also denied Barcelona president Joan Laporta's claim that La Liga is “corrupt” and that Madrid is favored by match officials.
Madrid benefited from three VAR interventions in Sunday's 3-2 victory over Almería, who claimed they had been 'robbed' at the Bernabeu.
These decisions have reignited debate on Madrid's internal television channel broadcasting videos highlighting controversial refereeing decisions before each match.
“I don’t like talking about controversies,” Ancelotti said. A lot has been said this week. La Liga is not corrupt.”
Ancelotti then mentioned the Negreira case, who is scrutinizing Barça.
Everyone knows what happened in the last 20 years in Spanish football,” Ancelotti said. “We cannot divert attention. Spanish football has a problem. Investigations are being carried out by the authorities, the Spanish Civil Guard. We have to give them time and wait.”
Laporta is at the center of the Negreira file.
He and Barça have been accused of alleged corruption and bribery over payments the club made to the former vice-president of the Spanish arbitration commission, José María Enriquez Negreira, between 2001 and 2018.
Laporta said the payments were for “technical reports on referees” and repeatedly denied the club ever “bought referees or influence”.
Negreira is to testify as a defendant over the payments after a judge on Thursday dismissed his dementia claim, judicial sources confirmed to EFE.
