MADRID, 6 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Saudi Arabian league champions Al-Ittihad Club announced on Tuesday that it has agreed terms to sign French striker Karim Benzema, who is leaving Real Madrid to sign an initial three-year contract.
As reported by the club’s communication agency, the man from Lyon underwent a medical examination in Madrid, where this Tuesday he had his farewell ceremony for the 14-time European champion, and will become a new world soccer star who arrives in Saudi Arabia. after the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed for Al-Nassr.
“I am excited to experience a new football league in a different country. Al-Ittihad Club has an incredible history, passionate fans and great ambitions in football to be a force in Asia after winning the league”, celebrated the ex-madridista.
Benzema recalled that he has been “lucky to achieve incredible things” during his career and to “win as much as possible in Spain and Europe”. “Now I feel the time is right for a new challenge and project. Whenever I have visited Saudi Arabia I have felt the warmth and love from the fans and the people. I am looking forward to joining my new teammates and, together with them, to help take this incredible club and football in Saudi Arabia to new levels,” he said.
In his first interview as an Al-Ittihad player, Benzema knows that this “is a new challenge, a new life” and he was “impatient to start training”. “I will do everything possible to win trophies, to score, to show my talent, to satisfy the fans, the club, the president… everyone,” he stressed.
“It’s a good league and there are a lot of good players. Cristiano Ronaldo is already there, a friend who shows that Saudi Arabia is starting to progress at his level. I’m here to win, like I did in Europe. I’m looking forward to seeing them in Jeddah.” sentenced the French.
AL-ITTIHAD SIGNS “A WORLD FOOTBALL ICON”
For his part, the president of the Al-Ittihad Club, Anmar Bin Abdullah Alhailae, believes that signing the current Ballon d’Or “is another historic milestone for this very special club.” “Karim is an icon of world football and is at the peak of his career. He joins a highly competitive club and league, in a country with great ambitions both on and off the pitch,” he stressed during the signing of the contract. , made on Monday.
“We know all eyes will be on him and we can’t wait to see him wear the number ‘9’ shirt for Al-Ittihad Club next season, as we face an incredibly exciting challenge: defending our title, competing in Asia and playing in the final phase of the FIFA Club World Cup,” he said.
The president knows that “when you start to win championships, you attract fans and admirers, especially among the younger generations” and therefore having “a player like Karim Benzema will have a sporting effect and a great presence on the streets.” “The fans will start to wear Karim’s shirt, they will try to move like he does on the pitch, they will be very beautiful and historic moments,” he declared.
For Al-Ittihad, the arrival of the Lyon forward is their “most impressive signing in the club’s history to date” and also represents “another big step on the path of the Saudi Pro League, which aims to become one of the top soccer destinations for the best players in the world, after its biggest season to date.”
This season, the club, led by Portugal’s Nuno Espirito Santo, a former Valencia coach, won its ninth league title, but its first since 2009 in what has been the “most important” season in the championship’s history. “The signing of Benzema will help the league continue its long-term strategy for football in the Kingdom to maximize the potential of the Saudi Pro League to be a world-class league that inspires millions of people to play, attend and continue,” they warned.