It was the practice, in the Lyon dressing room of the 00s, for new players to address their teammates upon joining the team. When, in 2004, it was time for him to honor this practice, 17-year-old Karim Benzema found himself the subject of japes and laughter from senior teammates. With legends such as Florent Malouda, Eric Abidal, Michael Essien, and Sylvain Wiltord present, Benzema responded, “Do not laugh, I’m here to take your place.” That boldness would serve him well in the decades to come.
Benzema had caught the eye of Lyon’s officials in 1995 after an impressive performance against their youth academy team. He was invited to trial and joined the Lyon Academy following a successful outing. A highly talented youngster and a decent student, he moved swiftly through the academy ranks and became a reserve team player by 2004. His performances earned him a senior team call-up within the same year, and he signed a three-year contract as a member of the team that would go on to win the Ligue 1 title that season.
By the time Benzema left Lyon for Real Madrid in 2009, he had scored 66 goals and helped the club to four Ligue 1 titles and a historic double. While he had a good pre-season with Madrid, scoring five goals, he spent most of his first season as a substitute. It wasn’t until 2011 that he fully established himself as a first-team regular. The 12 seasons since were successful ones for Benzema as he made himself indispensable to Madrid as several galacticos came and went.
Benzema’s time as a Madrileño came to an end last week when it was announced that he had signed a mouth-watering deal with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. He leaves Real Madrid with 25 winners’ medals and as the club’s second-highest goalscorer. Going by the fan’s reception at his final appearance, it is safe to say that the Ballon d’Or holder’s Madrid legacy is secure.
