Karim Benzema made mincemeat of rumours on Thursday evening that he would leave Real Madrid. According to multiple sources, the Ballon d’Or winner would announce his departure, but that did not happen.
Benzema responds to departure rumours
Benzema was put in the spotlight by Marca on Thursday as a Real Madrid legend and even received a real trophy from the Spanish sports newspaper. After fourteen years in the shirt of De Koninklijke, the 35-year-old Frenchman can also rightly be called a legend. “I am proud of my career,” said the club’s top scorer of this season. “I was just a kid dreaming of playing for Real Madrid.”
“All I thought about was having fun and winning prizes”
Fourteen years later, only his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo (450 goals) has scored more than him (353 goals) and Benzema has four national titles and five Champions Leagues to his name. It’s more than he could have dreamed of. “When I signed for this club, I was a 21-year-old boy. All I thought about was having fun and winning prizes. In the end I won a lot with Real Madrid,” he admits.
“What is said on the internet and the internet is not the truth”
As the ceremony continued, the word of redemption was delayed. And there was no reason to. Benzema resolutely dismissed reports that he would announce his departure. “Would I stay with Real? For now we have one more game next weekend. Should I say something to the fans? Why do I have to say something about my future when I’m in Madrid? That is said on the internet and the internet is not the truth,” he revealed.
Two-year contract with an annual salary of €200 million
It remains unclear where Benzema’s future lies. His contract with Real Madrid expires at the end of this month. According to various media sources, the former France international has a very lucrative offer from Al-Ittihad in his pocket. The champion of Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered the French star a two-year contract with an annual salary of €200 million. Benzema is still playing at Real for the time being.