Karim Benzema in Saudi Arabia: “You have to fully respect your choice”, according to Jean-Michel Aulas

Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid to join Saudi Arabia and “You have to totally respect your choice, which is a choice of success”, reacts on franceinfo Monday June 5, Jean-Michel Aulas, honorary president, for almost a month, of Olympique Lyonnais, of which he was president for 36 years. In Saudi Arabia, the state television channel Al-Ekhbariya assures that the Al-Ittihad club has reached an agreement “official” for a contract “record” two seasons with the former French international.

>> Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid: “He has nothing left to prove and that allows him to go out the front door”, according to Claude Puel, his former OL coach

Jean-Michel Aulas says to himself “surprised” by this announcement which took place on Sunday, but is “very happy” for Karim Benzema who made this decision in his “soul and conscience”. The former president of OL indicates that he was not in the confidence.

According to him, “It’s an opportunity for this fantastic boy to be able to reach the summits in terms of his retraining, in terms of the end of his career”. The choice of Saudi Arabia which wants to constitute “an absolutely incredible championship” East “the choice to put an end to an exceptional career by giving his family, his loved ones the possibility of apprehending things which could not be accessible even in recent years”he explained.

Jean-Michel Aulas would have preferred Karim Benzema to end his career in Lyon, but you have to be “realistic”, he said. This was discussed with the Ballon d’Or adviser, he said. But “Saudi Arabia right now is making proposals that no one else could make before”he explained.