It’s a trophy he was certainly no longer expecting, but at 34, Karim Benzema has however obtained his first Ballon d’Or and is still a little more in the legend of football. A trophy that rewards an incredible season from the Real Madrid striker, who almost single-handedly won the Champions League. Present last night in Paris with his son Ibrahim and the sublime Jordan Ozuna, to whom he is very close, the French striker went on stage at the Théâtre du Châtelet to receive his prize from the hands of his idol, Zinedine Zidane.
Obviously very moved to receive such a prestigious award, Karim Benzema wanted to thank those close to him and the people who counted in his career, but he also returned to the more difficult times. If today everything is going for the best and he seems to be at the peak of his career, the striker has long been persona non grata in the France team, following several problems, in particular the affair of the sextape for which he was sentenced. His relations with Didier Deschamps have not always been in good shape and if today everything is arranged between the two men, the native of Lyon has not forgotten this complicated period.
There were times when it was much harder for me
“It’s a lot of work, it’s not giving up, it’s training even more, but above all always keeping this dream in mind because everything is possible and because there have been times when it was much more difficult for me”, explains the striker of the Blues. Difficult moments that he sums up with a short sentence: “We’re not just looking at the bright side today because it’s there in front of me, but there were these periods when, for example, I was not in selection “. A sentence addressed to his selection coach, present in the room and who was stoic in the face of this little spade from his star striker.
If today the relationship is calmed between Karim Benzema and Didier Deschamps, the two men have long been cold and the brand new Ballon d’Or has not forgotten it.