Who else ? Before the kick-off of the Champions League final, this Saturday evening at the Stade de France, doubt still remained between Liverpool player Sadio Mané and Real and Blues striker Karim Benzema. Both authors of an exceptional season in club as in selection, both very serious candidates for the Ballon d’Or that this Champions League final was going to be able to decide.
“Benzema won, bye! »
With the victory of Real Madrid, the debate is undoubtedly closed, and he leaned in favor of the Frenchman, even if he weighed less than usual on his team’s game against Liverpool. On the set of CBS Sports, the American broadcaster of the Champions League of which he is the consultant this season for European evenings, Thierry Henry was in any case categorical, with the little touch of humor and the verve of which he has the secret: “I just wanted to say a little something to France Football (which organizes the Ballon d’Or, editor’s note), or whoever votes: you can close the votes! Benzema won. Bye! »
Author of an extraordinary season, author of 44 goals and 15 assists in 46 matches in all competitions, top scorer in the Champions League with 15 achievements including 10 in the final phase, the 34-year-old French striker is in the form of his life. “I can’t do better,” he reacted hotly after the meeting, talking about his club season which ended last night with a fifth C1 title with Real Madrid.
“The Ballon d’Or is a dream,” he admitted again this Sunday morning, on the Téléfoot program. I’m not far (laughs). I have time to think about it. But I did better than last year. I hope he gets closer”. In the event of victory, Karim Benzema would enter the Pantheon of tricolor football. The last French to have won the supreme award? Zinédine Zidane, in 1998, after Jean-Pierre Papin (1991), Michel Platini (1983,1984 and 1985) and Raymond Kopa (1958).
