Benzema: “I wanted to finish my career with Real Madrid, but life sometimes presents other opportunities”

Karim Benzema said his goodbyes to Real Madrid on Tuesday, as a farewell ceremony was held at Valdebebas, where Florentino Pérez spoke first and praised the French striker for his 14 years of service to the club.

Next up was Benzema, who had asked for there to be no press conference with journalists present. Instead he gave a short speech, meaning his final words as a Real Madrid player were the following: “It’s difficult to speak with so many emotions, but I want to say thank you to Real Madrid. This has been such an important part of my life. I was lucky enough to fulfil my childhood dream thanks to the president who wanted me. I remember feeling so proud that the president who signed Zidane and Ronaldo wanted me in his team. I got to join the best club in history. It’s a sad day today, because I’m going to leave this club and that hurts because I wanted to finish my career in Madrid. But, life sometimes presents other opportunities and I’ve talked about it with all my family. Real Madrid will always be like my family and I will always watch Real Madrid matches. Thank you also to the fans, who pushed me to play at my best and to have the strength and mentality I have today. So, thank you to everyone.”