Karim Benzema accused of Paris attack insult at El Clasico

Arsenal may be thanking their lucky stars that they did not sign Karim Benzema in the summer as the French forward has become a lightning rod for controversy in recent weeks.

The Real Madrid player is under investigation by the French authorities over his alleged involvement in a blackmail plot against international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena and is in trouble in Spain for driving without a licence. And now, after an insipid display during Real Madrid's humiliation at the hands of Barcelona in El Clasico at the weekend, it has been claimed that he disrespected the French national anthem La Marseillaise.

The French national anthem was played before the match at the Bernabeu as a mark of respect following the Paris terror attacks.

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Unfortunately for Benzema the cameras zoomed in on him as the song came to an end, presumably hoping that the Frenchman would appear moved by the tribute. Instead, he did what most footballers do, and spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the turf.

As ever, the reaction on social media was swift, with right-wing MP Nadine Morano leading calls for him to be banned from playing for France. She described his actions as an "insult to the victims" of Paris and said he was "no longer worthy of wearing the colours of France". Others including the mayor of Beziers, Robert Menard, and well known football journalist Pierre Menes also joined the criticism on Twitter.

Marc Cohen, editor of controversial French website Causeur, wrote: "Everyone knows that Karim Benzema does not like the Marseillaise. This is entirely his right. Everyone knows he always refuses to sing with Les Blues and has said so loud and clear. That is one problem, but it is not the main question of the moment. For that night, there were good reasons for him not to show contempt for the national anthem."

But not everyone is convinced he was being disrespectful. The Huffington Post in France accuses Morano of getting "carried away", while L'Express suggests that claims of extortion and blackmail against a team-mate could be more detrimental to his future as an international footballer.

"It's a big accusation to make – footballers spit all the time after all – and Benzema did look a little emotionally moved by the whole thing," says the British website 101 Great Goals. The spit could have resulted from nerves, it suggests.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"87285","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]