Karim Benzema has returned to the field in Saudi Arabia with his club Al-Ittihad even if his relations with coach Marcelo Gallardo still seem fresh.
The 36-year-old striker, who left his club on December 27 after a league defeat without having informed his managers, had also deactivated his Instagram account, followed by 76 million fans.
This Friday, the former Blues striker reactivated his account in order to promote a collaboration with GQ Middle East.
Benzema displays his satisfaction at playing in the Saudi championship, as if the stormy episode of recent weeks had not taken place.
“Being in Saudi Arabia is a new challenge that I like: a long-term project in a Muslim country.
I am not only a football player in Saudi Arabia, I am also an ambassador.
I am here to bring in great European players in the near future, even if there are already great ones in the Saudi championship.
Our challenge is to raise it to the same level as the European leagues.”
I would like to be remembered as someone who started at the bottom and climbed to the top alone
Karim Benzema
The ex-Real Madrid player also spoke about his future and after football, reflecting on the mark he will leave in football:
“Time will tell (what happens next), but it’s me who will choose when my career ends... In the end, I would like to be remembered as someone who started at the bottom and climbed to the top alone, and despite all obstacles that I met.”
A return to normal therefore, even if Benzema still took care to delete his previous contributions to the social network and in particular those related to his club.