Overview
- Didier Deschamps attended the five‑hour hearing in Paris and seeks €1 in symbolic damages plus an on‑air acknowledgment from Daniel Riolo.
- The case centers on Riolo calling Deschamps a liar over the handling of Karim Benzema’s pre‑World Cup thigh injury and departure in November 2022.
- Team doctor Franck Le Gall defended his diagnosis that Benzema’s lesion warranted leaving the squad, while security chief Mohamed Sanhadji said the exit followed proper procedures.
- Riolo argued his comments came from an opinion show and were sourced, citing a conversation he says he had with Aspetar’s Hakim Chalabi that disputed the severity assessed by France’s staff.
- The court reserved judgment to 30 January 2026 after the public prosecutor criticized Riolo’s verification and requested a conviction under France’s defamation law.