Deschamps Drops Appeal Against Riolo in Benzema Injury Case

Didier Deschamps has decided to end the legal proceedings against journalist Daniel Riolo. The former France manager notified the Paris Court of Appeal of his withdrawal on September 21, according to his opposing counsel, Maître Laurent Merlet. The formalization is expected to take place at a hearing scheduled for November 4.

The case dated back to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Deschamps sued Riolo for defamation after the journalist questioned his handling of Karim Benzema’s injury, which forced the striker to leave the tournament early. At first instance in January, Daniel Riolo was acquitted.

The court had recognized that the journalist’s remarks, “expressed in the form of condemnations and in wounding terms,” showed a “will to discredit Didier Deschamps.” However, it ruled that they amounted to “value judgments” and “presumption of intent” rather than defamation in the legal sense, dismissing the charges.

The Deschamps camp initially chose to pursue the matter further, securing a hearing date for January 13, 2027. But after consulting with his advisors, the former coach ultimately opted for withdrawal, which was notified approximately three weeks ago.

This decision comes as Deschamps transitions from his role, having recently handed over the France job to Zinédine Zidane. According to his entourage, he remains attentive to opportunities that may arise on the coaching market in the short and medium term.