Real Madrid News
“Even Cristiano could not stand the training that he does” – Personal trainer praises Benzema
Karim Benzema will not be a part of the Real Madrid squad traveling to Morocco for the FIFA Club World Cup this week. He will remain in the Spanish capital in order to recover from the muscular injury he suffered during the game against Valencia.
In light of his injury, Benzema’s personal trainer Javier Atalaya spoke to the media (h/t Mundo Deportivo), confirming that the forward is getting better every day and is recovering well from the knock.
“We are calm with Benzema because it is not a serious injury. Karim is getting better every day. He is at home, having nothing to do, and he goes down to the gym to train,” Atalaya said. “The Frenchman’s mentality is to improve every day”.
Atalaya, who was also the personal trainer of Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Real Madrid, added that some of Benzema’s training sessions even surpass that of Ronaldo.
“Even Cristiano could not stand the training that Benzema does,” said Atalaya, who has worked closely with a variety of top players across Europe.
Benzema, who has retired from international football following a row with the French national team during the World Cup, has had struggles with his fitness this season. He has missed a number of matches in La Liga, which has led to Real Madrid’s inconsistency in the league.
But Los Blancos will be hoping to have the Frenchman back as soon as possible, especially ahead of a crucial UEFA Champions League knockout round encounter against Liverpool.
In the meantime, Real Madrid will focus on the FIFA Club World Cup this week, with the European champions set to take on Al Ahly in the semifinal in Rabat this evening.
Rodrygo, who has recently professed his desire to win the Club World Cup, is expected to deputise for the injured Benzema in the coming matches.
According to reports from Mario Cortegana (h/t Madrid Zone), Real Madrid have two objectives for the upcoming summer transfer window. The centre-forward and the right-wing position are seen as the two positions to be reinforced but no decision has been made yet about making a move.
This comes over and above the Merengues’ pre-existing need for new midfielders and full-backs in the coming windows.
At first sight, it may appear that Los Blancos are well stacked in the final third. In Vinicius Jr, Karim Benzema and Rodrygo Goes, they have three starting quality players who are well-complemented by the likes of Marco Asensio and Federico Valverde.
Yet, Vinicius is the only player on the aforementioned list who can boast of a starting role in a fixed position for at least the next decade.
There is worry over the centre-forward role considering Benzema’s lack of form and fitness throughout the current campaign. With the Ballon d’Or winner already 35, the club need a young reinforcement soon which is evident with the team’s struggle for goals this term.
Los Blancos have already invested heavily in Endrick in this regard. However, that has not stopped them from following established options like Dusan Vlahovic and Erling Haaland as their Brazilian wonderkid will not arrive until 2024.
The right wing is also understaffed despite the presence of young Rodrygo and Fede Valverde. The duo have no dearth of talent but have not managed to click on the wing as well as the manager would have liked.
Thus, it remains to be seen as to who the club targets to strengthen the wing and aim to stretch the play. Given the heavy investment planned for Jude Bellingham, a low-cost option is likely to be considered.
