Can Erozden
06 June 2023•Update: 06 June 2023
ANKARA
Real Madrid forward, Karim Benzema, said goodbye to the Spanish football powerhouse on Tuesday.
"It is so hard for me to speak. I would like to express my gratitude to Real Madrid and my teammates. It was a beautiful journey. I was lucky enough to make my dream come true," French star Benzema said at a farewell ceremony at Real Madrid City, the Whites' sports facility.
"...This is the best club in the world. I think that the time has come for me to move on," the 35-year-old said.
Benzema said that he is "proud" to have played for the Whites, and described his stint at Real Madrid as "the most important journey" of his life.
He added that it is a "sad" day for him as leaving Real Madrid "hurts" him.
"It is not easy... I really wanted to retire here at Real Madrid but this new opportunity has come along and I would like to take it. I will always be watching Real Madrid games," he added.
The Madrid club's President Florentino Perez and the French star's teammates and head coach Carlo Ancelotti attended the ceremony.
Benzema thanked Perez, Ancelotti, Real Madrid fans, and his teammates for their support.
After Benzema's speech, Perez gifted him a diamond badge.
Benzema joined Real Madrid in 2009 after leaving his boyhood club Olympique Lyon, where he won four French Ligue 1 titles.
The former French international helped Real Madrid win five UEFA Champions League titles, five FIFA Club World Cups, four Spanish La Liga titles, four UEFA Super Cups, four Spanish Super Cups, and three Spanish Cups.
As an individual, Benzema won the 2022 men's Ballon d'Or, a prestigious award, after a scintillating 2021-22 season for both club and country.
He was promoted to Real Madrid's captaincy.
In his 14-year stint at Real Madrid, Benzema scored 354 goals in 648 appearances to be the Spanish club's second all-time top scorer.
His former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who is now an Al-Nassr forward in Saudi Arabia, scored 450 goals in 2009-2018 to be Real Madrid's all-time top goal scorer.
The experienced player's contract at Real Madrid will expire on June 30.
