Tardelli still baffled by Benzema

MARCO TARDELLI admits he is at a loss to understand why footballers wouldn’t want to give their all for their country – whether that be Karim Benzema or, by implication, Stephen Ireland.

The Republic’s assistant manager was responding yesterday to a question about the controversial comments made last September by the France and Real Madrid superstar after he came on as a substitute in the qualifying game against Romania. “I didn’t really feel like playing,” the striker was reported as saying, “didn’t really feel like giving my best”. French manager Raymond Domenech labelled the comments “unacceptable” at the time whereas, by the sound of things yesterday, Tardelli might have opted instead for “unbelievable”.

“I don’t understand why a player of a national team says that,” he said yesterday. “For me, the national team is the most important part of my life after my son and daughter.