It was all a bit... strange. A player who for years divided opinion due to perceived indifference and indolence, Karim Benzema bid a subdued farewell to Real Madrid. dermotmcorrigan on a muted exit that wasn't personal — just business:
Benzema repaid that support by stepping up after Ronaldo left to become the team’s key attacker — culminating in his 15 Champions League goals as Madrid won that competition last season.This led to Benzema winning the Ballon d’Or last October and the personal relationship was again clear. “ is like a member of my family,” Benzema said at the ceremony in Paris.
But, at the Bernabeu, everyone knows it is all just business in the end. The only conversation that really counted last week was when Benzema met with Perez at Madrid’s training ground for their only face-to-face talk over his future. An offer to continue was possible but only by staying close to his current salary, which is only a fraction of the reported €200m for two years’ work on offer from Saudi Arabia.was assured by multiple sources that Benzema would leave to accept the Saudi offer.
At Saturday’s post-match news conference, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was still insisting Benzema had another year left on his contract — appearing to confirm reports that winning the Ballon d’Or had tied the two sides together for another 12 months. That also meant that just as when Ronaldo and Ramos left, it was likely the club president who had ultimate responsibility for the coolly rational decision.
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