Karim Benzema completes his move to Al-Ittihad. The 35-year-old attacker recently left Real Madrid after fourteen seasons, where the Frenchman had great successes. Benzema signs for two years in Saudi Arabia, with an option for another season.
Ballon d’Or winner signs mega contract in Saudi Arabia
Benzema had an expiring contract with Real and has accepted a very lucrative offer from Al-Ittihad. The champion of Saudi Arabia presented the French star with a contract with an annual salary of reportedly 200 million euros net per season. The holder of the Ballon d’Or could not resist that temptation and, following Cristiano Ronaldo, fell for the call from the Middle East.
Benzema and Ronaldo played together for years at Real Madrid. The Frenchman formed a successful attacking duo with the Portuguese goalgetter. After his departure to Juventus in 2018, Benzema stepped out of his shadow and developed into Real Madrid’s main goalscorer. In fourteen seasons, the counter finally got stuck at 354 goals in 648 official duels.
With that number, Benzema only has to tolerate Ronaldo (450) on Real’s all-time top scorers list. It says something about the legacy that the former Olympique Lyon player leaves behind. In recent years, Benzema has had a major share in the successes of the Spanish superpower with his goals. In total, he won four national titles and five Champions Leagues alone. That era has now ended.
“Karim is a global football icon and still in the prime of his life”
Chairman Anmar Bin Abdullah Alhailae sees the capture of Benzema as the next milestone in the history of Al-Ittihad, where Karim El Ahmadi, for example, was also under contract in the past. He said, “Karim is a global football icon and still in the prime of his life. He signs with a club with great ambitions. We know that all eyes will be on him. To have a player like Karim Benzema will be seen on the street, where people will wear his shirt. We will experience beautiful moments with him.”
Benzema in his farewell kept his emotions under control during his short speech. “I will never forget Real Madrid. That is impossible, because it is the best club in history. But I think the time has come to leave and embark on a new adventure. Thank you Madrid. I was lucky enough to fulfill my childhood dream,” he said.
