Real Madrid News
Real Madrid legend could win his ‘first trophy’ as captain
Karim Benzema’s legacy at Real Madrid is special. While he has been an indispensable part of the team for nearly a decade, his importance in the last two seasons has been unparalleled.
Since his move to the club in 2009, he has won the UEFA Champions League five times, four La Liga titles, three UEFA Super Cups, two Copa del Rey’s, and four Spanish Super Cups.
Yet, Wednesday could hold something special for the striker. If Real Madrid win the UEFA Super Cup in Helsinki, it will be Karim Benzema’s first trophy as the club captain.
While the French star donned the captain’s armband on multiple occasions in recent years, the departure of Marcelo means that he now is the primary captain of the team for the first time in his career.
Interestingly, he is only Real Madrid’s third foreign captain in the last century as the club usually grants Spanish internationals or homegrown talents that privilege.
Benzema’s appointment is not only fair but deserved. He was the biggest reason behind Los Blancos‘ success last season as he pulled the team out of trouble time and time again.
In 32 La Liga appearances, the 34-year-old scored a whopping 27 goals and provided 12 assists for the eventual champions. He further added another 15 goals and two assists to his cap in the Champions League and helped the club lift the prestigious trophy for the fourteenth time.
Benzema is expected to start against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night. The Captain will undoubtedly look to lead from the front and be the difference maker in a decisive game.
Jose Felix Diaz has reported via MARCA that Real Madrid want a major change in the Spanish refereeing system.
The reporter writes that the team from the Spanish capital has taken the issue as their top priority mostly because of what happened in the recent derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.
Los Blancos are determined to relentlessly steer a significant overhaul of the refereeing structure, and they have no intention of resting in their pursuit.
Their discontent comes not only from recent events, particularly the contentious derby match but also from a deep-seated frustration with the state of refereeing itself.
Real Madrid not hiding their discontent
The journalist mentions that Real Madrid are unapologetic about their continuous criticism of the refereeing community, firmly believing that a transformation is of utmost importance.
Even prior to the emergence of the Negreira case, the Merengues had been vocal about their dissatisfaction with those responsible for overseeing the refereeing unit.
For what it is worth, the revelation of the former vice president of the CTA’s financial ties to Barcelona only solidified Real Madrid’s resolve to advocate for a complete overhaul in referee management.
Real Madrid are suspicious
Real Madrid firmly assert that any influence from Negreira’s historical decisions in certain key positions raises suspicions about the fairness of the competition.
For that, the management will do everything in its power to achieve a certain level of transparency within the organization that it believes is currently overshadowed by historical baggage.
As of today, Real Madrid continue to voice their concerns through their official channels.
Right now their ultimate goal is to eliminate the involvement of Clos Gomez in VAR decisions, marking the beginning of a long-standing battle they are fighting.
