Real Madrid News
Benzema gets emotional at farewell event: “Real Madrid will always be my family”
This past weekend, it was confirmed that Real Madrid captain and club legend Karim Benzema will leave the club imminently.
The 35-year-old superstar striker’s contract was expiring on June 30, but a renewal until 2024 was believed to have been in place after he won the Ballon d’Or last year.
However, a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia was too tempting for the French forward, who decided to part ways with Real Madrid in exchange for an adventure in the Middle East.
Given his status at the club, Real Madrid held a special farewell ceremony for Benzema today, which was attended by several of his teammates, manager Carlo Ancelotti, president Florentino Perez and club legends such as Roberto Carlos.
During the event, Benzema addressed those present and spoke of his love for Real Madrid, stating that he is what he is today because of the club, while calling the Merengues the greatest team.
“Hello everyone. It’s difficult to talk now. I want to thank everyone. Thank you Presi for bringing me here. I’ll never forget. Real Madrid is the greatest. But now it’s time to leave,” he said.
“This is a sad day. I leave my club… I have always said I would have retired here but things do not always happen. I will always watch Real Madrid games and support the team.”
“I’m who I am because of this club, thank you very much,” Benzema added.
Further underlining his feelings for the club, the Frenchman stated that Real Madrid will always be his family.
“Real Madrid will always be my family. Many thanks to the president. I have been able to realize my dream. I will never forget Real Madrid because it is the best club in the world and in history,” he said.
Benzema signed off with these words: “As I said the first day, 1, 2, 3… Hala Madrid!”
Source: Real Madrid Twitter
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
