football
Karim Benzema said goodbye to Real Madrid on Sunday with a goal. In his last game for the “Royals”, the 35-year-old star striker scored the equalizer from the penalty spot in the 1-1 draw at home against Athletic Bilbao (72′). Just two minutes later he was substituted for Luka Modric to thunderous applause.
The Madrilenians, where ÖFB star David Alaba was on the bench, were lucky that Mikel Vesga missed a penalty in the tenth minute. In the 49th minute, Real fell behind through Oihan Sancet. The draw secured Real second place in the table ahead of Atletico Madrid, who drew 2-2 at Villarreal. Long-established champions FC Barcelona ended the season with a 2-1 defeat at Celta Vigo and ten points clear of Real.
But more important that evening was the successful farewell to Benzema. The world footballer of 2022 will officially bid farewell on Tuesday at the “Royal” training center in Valdebebas in the north-east of Madrid with a celebration. “Real Madrid want to show all their gratitude and affection to the man who is already one of our greatest legends,” the club said.
354 goals in 648 competitive games
Benzema moved from Olympique Lyon to Madrid in the summer of 2009 at the age of 21. The Frenchman made 648 competitive appearances for Real, scoring 354 goals. This puts him second in the club’s all-time list of goalscorers behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (451). The center forward won a total of 25 titles with Real, including the Champions League five times. “A brilliant and unforgettable stage,” wrote Real in farewell.
According to media reports, Benzema is likely to follow his former club-mate Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia. Benzema, whose contract in Madrid expires on June 30, was offered an annual salary of 100 million euros in the Gulf state, it said. According to reports from Saudi state television, he will play for club al-Ittihad in the future.