Karim Benzema shockingly moved to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League a few months ago, a move that rocked the soccer community. It made no sense to anyone; after all, he had won the Ballon d’Or just last year. Some even accused the Frenchman of being a sellout, prioritizing money over his legacy at Real Madrid.
The move left Real Madrid in limbo as they unsuccessfully tried to push their transfer for Kylian Mbappe forward. A few months after settling in Saudi Arabia, Karim Benzema has now expressed his reason for joining the Saudi Pro League in favor of building a legacy at Real Madrid.
What motivated Karim Benzema to move to Saudi?
Karim Benzema’s decision to join Saudi Arabia did not make sense to anyone a few months ago. The player looked set for another ground-breaking season at Real Madrid after winning the Ballon d’Or for the first time a few months prior. However, a few days after rumors first broke out about the Frenchman’s desire to leave Santiago Bernabeu, the move became official, and Real Madrid were left without a recognized striker.
The Ballon d’Or winner has now revealed his reasons for leaving the European giants for last season’s champions of the Saudi Pro League. “As a Muslim, when you are in Mecca, you feel at peace; it is an exceptional place. When the football project began in Saudi Arabia, it seemed huge in all aspects,” Benzema said.
“I wanted to be part of it and help football move forward in this country,” he concluded. Justifiably, Benzema’s move to the Gulf country has done more for the project since Cristiano Ronaldo joined them last December. It means the country is now home to two players with six joint Ballon d’Or awards between them. It’s also home to global superstars like Neymar, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Firmino, Sadio Mane, N’golo Kante, and many more.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, are on a good run of form, thanks to Jude Bellingham, who has been in imperil form since joining from Borussia Dortmund. The English midfielder won the La Liga Player of the Month for the month of August and has been getting praise from pundits and fans alike.
Karim Benzema’s performance so far in Saudi Pro League
Karim Benzema has had a tough start to his career in Saudi Arabia. He hasn’t set the league alight like Cristiano Ronaldo is doing for Al-Nassr or Roberto Firmino for Al-Ahli. The Frenchman has appeared in seven Pro League games this season, scoring three goals – a poor return for a player of his quality.
Al-Ittihad recently refused to turn out for an Asian Champions League match against an Iranian side due to a statue of a former general Qassem Soleimani. This means Benzema did not get the chance to add to his goal tally for his new club.
Last season’s champions Al-Ittihad sit fourth in the Saudi Pro League with 19 points, as many as Al-Nassr have amassed, but four points behind league leaders and Neymar’s new club Al-Hilal.
Can Karim Benzema catch up with Cristiano Ronaldo on the goalscorer chart of the Saudi Pro League this season? Tell us what you think in the comments.
