Paris, April 17 (IANS) French Football Federation (FFF) decision to exclude forward Karim Benzema from the national squad for the upcoming Euro 2016 has been endorsed by the fans, according to a survey published on Sunday.
According to the survey, four out of every five French people have supported the decision.
The FFF and national team coach Didier Deschamps earlier announced the exclusion of Benzema from selection, which will be held in France in June and July, reports Efe.
A statement released last Wednesday by FFF president Noel Le Graet read: "The president of the federation and the coach would agree that athletic performance is an important but not exclusive criteria for selecting the France national team."
Benzema was suspended from his national side following accusations of being involved in a plot to blackmail French teammate Mathieu Valbuena with a sex tape, involving Valbuena and his wife.
The survey, conducted by the Odoxa Institute for RTL radio station, revealed that 81 percent of the respondents are against Benzema's participation for France, compared to 70 percent registered last January in a similar survey.
