Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 0-4 in the Copa del Rey, Benzema scored three goals (Sport1)
Quite a few huge stars have left Real Madrid in recent years, but few of them have had as much influence as Karim Benzema. After no less than 14 successful seasons with the Blancos, it is reported in Europe that the French striker is expected to announce on Thursday evening that he will part ways with the team at the end of the season, apparently in favor of Al Ittihad of the Saudi league.
Benzema, who is terminating his contract this summer, was due to sign a contract extension for another season in the Spanish capital, but the huge offer he recently received from Saudi Arabia shuffled the cards and made him end a glorious chapter - for him and the club. His final appearance at the Bernabeu will be this Sunday - in the Spanish league finale against Athletic Bilbao.
The 35-year-old striker will hold a press conference at Real Madrid's offices this evening to announce his decision, and according to all estimates, the Saudi team he has chosen is Al Ittihad, where he will pocket a monstrous salary of €100 million per season. The Yellows and Blacks won the title this season and are five points ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr. The team is coached by Portuguese Nuno Espirito Santo, formerly of Tottenham, Wolves and Porto.
A legend that really was. Benzema (Photo: Reuters)
Benzema has been playing for Real Madrid since 2009 and for years he sheltered in the big shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo, but he brought double-digit goals in almost every season and finished last season as deputy top scorer in the league, with only Robert Lewandowski ahead of him. Benzema has 353 goals in 647 all competitions for the Whites, with only Ronaldo ahead of him on the club's all-time list.
The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner has lifted the Champions League trophy five times with Real Madrid, along with four Spanish championships, three FA Cups, five Club World Cups, four UEFA Supercups and three times the Spanish Supercup.
After a season in which they lost both the title and their title as European champions, Real Madrid will have a big problem finding a replacement for their great scorer, especially considering that signing Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland is unrealistic this summer.
Apart from Benzema, Marco Asensio will also leave Real Madrid this summer when his contract expires. An announcement regarding Luka Modric and Toni Kroos' contract extensions is expected soon, while the futures of Nacho and Dani Ceballos are uncertain. Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund is expected to arrive soon, after it was announced that Ferran Garcia will arrive from Rayo Vallecano.
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- Karim Benzema
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