Karim Benzema signs for three years with the Saudi club Al-Ittihad – Liberation

The contract is signed. Karim Benzema, leaving Real Madrid, has signed a three-year contract with Saudi club Al-Ittihad, based in Jeddah, an internal club source told AFP on Tuesday (June 6th). “Benzema has signed a contract for his transfer to Al-Ittihad, for a period of three years”, said this source about the 35-year-old striker. The Frenchman, who arrived in the Spanish capital in 2009, played his last match with Real on Sunday after 14 seasons with the Madrid club, with which he won five Champions Leagues.

This resounding arrival, for a still undisclosed but staggering amount, is part of the great Saudi offensive targeting the stars of European football. Apart from Luka Modric (2018), all Ballons d’Or since 2008 could thus end up in the Saudi championship. And the Croatian is also on a list of aging football stars targeted by the kingdom, like Lionel Messi, who officially left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 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 extremely wealthy Saudi Pro League supported by the Saudi Sovereign Fund ( FIS). 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.

Negotiations have accelerated recently – again on Thursday, Benzema, at the end of his contract at the “White House”, said: “I am in Madrid. Those who speak do so on the Internet, and the reality is not the Internet.during a ceremony in tribute to his career organized by the Spanish sports daily Brand.

Club champion

But, in Saudi Arabia, the state television channel Al-Ekhbariya assured for its part that Al-Ittihad had concluded an agreement “official” for a contract «record». 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”, explained Real, suggesting that Benzema had chosen not to extend his contract. A tribute must be paid to him in Madrid on Tuesday June 6 at noon.

The “Nueve” will continue its journey started in Lyon with the fresh champions of Saudi Arabia. The yellow and black “Tigers” of Jeddah are the second most successful club in the country, nine times champion (like Al-Nassr, Ronaldo’s team) and winner of two Asian Champions Leagues (Al-Nassr not l ‘has ever won), and also the dean, founded in 1927. The match between Al-Ittihad (Union, in French) and Al-Hilal Riyadh, the club that courts Lionel Messi, is the “clasico” of the local championship.

Like Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, Benzema will be the overwhelming star of a squad featuring Egyptian internationals Ahmed Hegazy and Angolan Helder Costa, trained by the former manager of FC Porto or Tottenham, the 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.

Update : at 11:06 a.m., with further details.