Karim Benzema had three dreams in his life: to buy an apartment for his mother, to wear the Real Madrid tunic and to win the Ballon d'Or.
And less than a week ago, KB9 can boast of having achieved them, of having materialized what he had promised himself by winning the most prestigious of individual trophies, after a very great season with Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League and La Liga among others.
And who says Ballon d'Or, says long interview with France Football, the organizer of the precious reward since 1956. From his emotion when he was appointed to his way of seeing football, the Frenchman mentioned all the subjects with sincerity.
Here is a brief summary of his statements.
"The pinnacle of beauty, something crazy"
Called personally by Pascal Ferré, editor-in-chief of France Football, a week before winning the trophy, the Real Madrid striker explained that he had been very moved: "Joy, pride, there are plenty memories, clichés that come back to me.
There is no finer individual reward, all sports combined.
Already the name: Golden Ball.
It's something different, gorgeous, all gold, the pinnacle of beauty.
And you can't buy it.
It's mine and I went to get it myself.
It's a crazy thing.
(…) I did not see myself stopping football without that, ”he explained.
“You have the Ballon d'Or, you have marked the history of your sport.
And I play football to leave something behind, if only an action, an emotion,” commented the Real Madrid captain.
“5 years ago, no one would have predicted this”
During his career, the 34-year-old has experienced ups and (very) downs.
Sidelined from the France team for more than five years because of the sextape affair, Karim Benzema regained the top by winning this trophy which rewards the best player of the year, and returning with Blues.
"It's not revenge.
I went looking alone, I coaled alone, from the bottom, with my life as it is.
The collective is around but no one held my hand.
I proved.
Do not forget, five years ago, they wanted to pass me off as this individual, there… I stayed in my place, I continued to work, took my time.
I came back in front, here I am.
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"It's a special Ballon d'Or, one of the most beautiful.
That's actually the story.
He comes from very far away.
Five years ago, nobody would have predicted this, nobody.
That's why it's exceptional, magnificent, that it will mark the history of the Ballon d'Or.
I went to find him.
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“Football has to be art”
In each of his interviews, Karim Benzema never ceases to hammer home that, for him, football is essentially collective.
A speech that clashes at a time when statistics and individualism in the field are acclaimed: “It has to be art.
I grew up with the football of artists, "Zizou" and Ronaldo.
Despite all the great players we've seen since, it's on another level.
Because of what they did, Cristiano and Messi are also artists, you can't do like them.
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"When you watch me play, I want you to say to yourself, 'Yeah, this player does crazy stuff!
A simple pass, a roulette, a goal, or just the ball call, it's crazy!
“I grew up with this football of connoisseurs.
Because I looked at it like that.
At the start, FC Nantes, one-touch play, movement.
And then, in my neighborhood with older people, six, seven years older, stronger, faster than me.
See fast, think fast, act fast.
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Karim Benzema attempted a panenka in the Champions League semi-finals against Manchester City.
Icon sport MB Media / Icon Sport
The match against PSG: “You feel when you are going to burst everything”
This round of 16 return from the Champions League to Madrid last season has gone down in history.
Led to the score, the people of Madrid had turned the tide and eliminated PSG thanks to a hat-trick from Karim Benzema (3-1).
“In fact, you feel when you are going to burst everything.
Paris (eighth return from C1), I knew I was going to do something... Well, not that I was going to score three goals, but I felt everything, the locker room, the concentration, the teammates, the supporters, it was not as usual.
The lawn, well watered, etc.
You feel that something is going to happen, ”confessed the five-time winner of the Champions League.
“There are whistles that gave me a headache”
The Frenchman also spoke of the whistles of the public when he was the author of bad performances: “At the Bernabeu, in the France team, even in Lyon, and it's hard.
Because it's your audience.
They come with time and that means you haven't done the right thing for a certain period of time.
You have to say to yourself: “What am I doing to get out of this?
“To continue like this, to lose confidence, to be afraid, to become an ordinary player and to be whistled at all the time?
Or take over, because I know my quality, and make sure that I am applauded?
Must choose.
There are whistles that gave me a headache.
When I got home… You have to try not to pollute your head.
It's complicated but it can also make you go higher.
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