Benzema says goodbye to his teammates and Real Madrid in a ceremony

MADRID (AP) — Karim Benzema officially said goodbye to Real Madrid on Tuesday, saying he wanted to end his career with the club, but life gave him another chance.

The French striker gave no indication of his possible future, which according to some reports is tied to a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia.

Benzema played the last of his 648 games for Madrid on Sunday, scoring in a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao on the final day of the season.

“It’s a little sad day, because I’m going to leave this club and that hurts me,” he acknowledged. “I had a dream in my head, I signed with Madrid and I wanted to end up at Madrid, but life sometimes gives you another chance and I have done it with my whole family”.

Benzema spoke at a ceremony held at the team’s clubhouse and attended by his teammates, former players and club president Florentino Pérez, who presented him with a gold star.

“You arrived being almost a child and today you are becoming one of our great legends and one of the best players of all time,” said Florentino Pérez. “Your legend will last forever as a beautiful love story between Benzema and Real Madrid.”

Benzema, 35, has been with Madrid since 2009 and spent 14 seasons with the club. He helped them win 25 titles to tie Marcelo for the most by a single player. Among Benzema’s titles are five Champions Leagues, four Spanish leagues and five Club World Cups.

It was decisive for Madrid to win the last Champions League to extend the team’s record to 14 European titles.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti also attended the ceremony.

“He has always given me a lot of confidence,” acknowledged Benzema. “I will never forget that. He is a ‘top’ coach and I have learned a lot with you. Thank you very much for everything”.

He says goodbye as the team’s second highest scorer of all time with 354 goals.