Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid after fourteen years. This was confirmed by the club on Sunday in a statement.
Benzema surprises with announcement of departure from Real Madrid
Benzema has an expiring contract with Real Madrid and has opted for a new challenge. The 35-year-old striker won the Champions League five times with Real and was awarded a Golden Ball at the end of last year.
Benzema joined Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in 2009 as a 21-year-old after being convinced by Florentino Pérez to make the switch from Olympique Lyon. He became a defining player in Madrid in a golden era for the club. With Real, Benzema won an astonishing 25 trophies. No player has won more titles with De Koninklijke.
In the list of players with the most appearances for the Spanish top club, he is fifth. The counter now stands at 647 performances. A 648th appearance can be added on Sunday, Real closes the season with a home game against Athletic de Bilbao. Benzema scored 353 times for the club that he can leave with a heavy heart. Real says goodbye to Benzema on Tuesday with a special press conference. Pérez will then address him.
Benzema’s new destination seems familiar
Karim Benzema’s future lies in Saudi Arabia. Various Spanish media are convinced of this. In Madrid, a deal is said to have been made between the 35-year-old top striker and Ittihad FC.
According to AS, Benzema will sign a two-year contract. In total he will earn two hundred million euros, net to be precise. In addition, the Frenchman will receive a bonus because he will also act as ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s candidacy to host the 2030 World Cup.
Marca is a bit more cautious, but also reports that it is almost certain that Benzema will leave for Saudi Arabia in the wake of his old teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. A delegation from the oil state had traveled to Madrid to reach an agreement with Benzema. Real announced on Sunday with a statement that the five-time Champions League winner will leave the club after this season.
Benzema will come into action on Sunday evening in Real’s home game against Athletic de Bilbao. Due to the announcement earlier in the day, the audience in Estadio Santiago Bernabéu still has the opportunity to honor the successful captain. On Tuesday there will be a special press conference where Benzema will speak and will be addressed by Florentino Pérez, the president who personally visited him in France in 2009 to convince the then top talent of Olympique Lyon to opt for Los Blancos.
