Recently Karim Benzema played without the infamous bandage on his hand for the first time in more than three years. We do not yet know why he did not wear the now permanent part of his match outfit in the exhibition game with Getafe.
Benzema is now completely back after the injury that put an end to his World Cup participation, as it turned out when he played again with Real Madrid before the weekend. Photos from that exhibition game show that the French attacker no longer plays with the bandage that he has worn in recent years, since he broke his pinky in January 2019 in a match against Real Betis.
Benzema decided not to have surgery, because in that case he would have to miss Real Madrid matches. And so the Ballon d’Or winner played against Sevilla a few days later with a taped finger. From that moment on he scored continuously. And the bandage became a kind of talisman that he also wore out of superstition. Benzema even wore a gold bandage on an Adidas advertisement.
Why Benzema now suddenly played without the infamous bandage is not yet clear to the Spanish media as well. The latest events surrounding the World Cup may play a role. The 35-year-old attacker missed the tournament in Qatar due to an injury. And announced his retirement as an international one day after the lost World Cup final. Perhaps that is why Benzema has decided to abandon his superstitions.
