(Riyadh) A new Ballon d’Or in Saudi Arabia. At 35, Karim Benzema is going to join his former Real Madrid partner Cristiano Ronaldo in this country, perhaps waiting for the arrival of Lionel Messi: the Frenchman has signed for three seasons at Al-Ittihad.
“The arrival of Benzema […] is another giant step in the Saudi Pro League’s project to become a major destination for all the best players in the world”, welcomes the club, in the press release formalizing the signing of the contract .
This resounding arrival, for an as yet undisclosed but staggering amount, is part of the great Saudi offensive targeting the stars of European football.
Eventually, all Ballons d’Or since 2008 could end up in the Saudi championship. Luka Modric (Ballon d’Or 2018) is indeed on the list of aging football stars targeted by the kingdom, as is Lionel Messi (seven times Ballon d’Or), who officially left Paris SG on Saturday.
After 14 years of conquests at Real Madrid, where he notably won five Champions Leagues, the French international (97 caps, 37 goals) opted for an end to his career in the wealthy Saudi Pro League supported by the Saudi Sovereign Fund ( FIS), which relies in particular on “soft power”, geopolitical influence, through sport.
“It’s a bit sad day, because I’m going to leave this club, and it hurts me. I had a dream, it was to sign at Real, and finish my career at Real. But sometimes life gives you other opportunities,” explained the former French international during his farewell ceremony on Tuesday noon in Madrid.
In recent days, a contract of 200 million euros for two seasons had been mentioned by the Spanish press. The Frenchman finally signed for three years.
The second top scorer in the history of Real Madrid, with 354 goals, behind CR7 (450 goals), and the fifth most capped player with 648 games played, left the Spanish club like a prince, hailed by the Santiago stadium. Bernabeu, his teammates, his coach and his managers.
“Karim Benzema’s career at Real Madrid has been an example of behavior and professionalism, and has represented the values of our club. Karim Benzema has earned the right to decide his future,” Real said, implying that Benzema had chosen not to extend his contract.
A tribute must be paid to him in Madrid this Tuesday noon.
The “Nueve” will continue his journey started in Lyon with the freshly champions of Saudi Arabia. The yellow and black “Tigers” of Jeddah are the second most successful club in the country, winning nine times (like Al-Nassr, Ronaldo’s team) and winner of two Asian Champions Leagues (Al-Nassr not l ever won), and also the Dean, founded in 1927.
The match between Al-Ittihad (Union, in French) and Al-Hilal Riyadh, the club that is courting Lionel Messi, is the “clasico” of the local championship.
Like Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, Benzema will be the overwhelming star of a squad featuring Egyptian internationals Ahmed Hegazy and Angolan Helder Costa, trained by former FC Porto or Tottenham, Portuguese Nuno Espirito Santo.
But other high-profile teammates could arrive as the kingdom, criticized for human rights abuses, is determined to use football to improve its international image and has petrodollars galore to fulfill its ambitions.
