Golden Ball of the People, proud representative of the Rhône or Real Madrid legend… Karim Benzema has many caps that illustrate his incredible career. Beginning in professionals in 2005 at the age of 18, the French striker nevertheless arrived at the twilight of his rich adventure with football. Always as brilliant on the side of Al-Ittihad, which he aspires to lead to a new title in Saudi Pro League, the native of Lyon has a second much better season in the Gulf after a first cuvée where he had attracted some sporting criticism. Author of 18 goals and 7 assists in 22 games, the nueve is excellent and allows, alongside Houssem Aouar, Moussa Diaby or N'Golo Kanté, in Al-Ittihad to be first in the league.
Author of rare interventions in the media, the Ballon d'Or 2022 was the guest of the Spanish program “Edu and his friends” presented by Edu Aguirre, a journalist close to Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid. Asked about his Saudi adventure, Benzema explained that the difference was not so huge between his program in Djeddah and the one he had for more than a decade in Madrid: “My daily life is similar to that of Madrid. I wake up, train at home in the gym, and in the afternoon, I train with the team. In the evening, I sometimes go out to dinner or I visit the beach. We cannot walk around the streets here either; The locals are passionate about football. I continue to take care of myself as I did in Madrid. I feel good here, comfortable. It's not the same as in Madrid, but you always have to win. Each year, competition intensifies and titles are expected. I have always felt the support of fans, even when I arrived with Madrid. We have a very good team and a good coach. ”
Karim Benzema opens the door to a return to Real Madrid
Logically, with the Spanish press, Karim Benzema was relaunched on his favorite club: Real Madrid. A real legend of the Iberian club, the French international (97 selections, 37 goals). Leaving in 2023 after a new big season, Benzema left through the big door and gave way to a brilliant youth who knew how to win a Champions League the next season. Relaunched on this departure which had slightly surprised at the time, Benzema explained that he wanted to leave Real Madrid in legend: “I accomplished everything, starting like a child and ending like a man. With all the titles and the Ballon d'Or, I wanted to go on a good note. No one knows how I would have performed next year. For me, Madrid is the best club in the world, and I did not want to leave for a team that could compete with Madrid, like PSG or City. ” From now on, when his future raises questions. Close to retirement, what does Karim Benzema want to do for the future?
And a solution is available to KB9 like all the Real Madrid legends: a return to the White House as a educator or ambassador. A possibility that could represent an interesting design for the 37 -year -old player. And an opportunity in front of which the latter clearly does not seem insensitive: “The other day, I was with Florentino when I was in Madrid. Regarding my signature, I was in Lyon when my father called and told me to come back quickly. When I arrived, there was Florentino – I immediately thought of him as the man who brought Zidane and the 'Galácticos' to Madrid. He told my father that as long as he was in Madrid, I would be there too. It was the first person I called when I decided to leave. He didn't really understand. I told him that the young players (Vinicius and Rodrygo) were ready to take over. (…) For my future, I don't know. I have two years remaining on my contract with Al-Ittihad. It depends on the way I feel every year. Being a coach is undoubtedly more complicated than being a player. I want to stay close to football. I want to stay close to Florentino when I retire. ” As a reminder, Florentino Perez was recently extended until 2029 as president of Real Madrid. Everything is leaning towards a return from Benzema to Real Madrid after his career!
