How You Like Me Now? - The Karim Benzema Thread

Raul-7 · Jun 4, 2023

Hendrix22 said: ↑

First, I hold Benzema to higher standards than the midget.

Second, he could have left years ago, and you could still say that he won it all and went for a new challenge. However this isn't a challenge.
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It's not meant to be; he's retiring - similar to how Bale, Andrea Pirlo. Lampard, David Villa, Henry, etc. went to the MLS. Are they all failures?

Why can't you thank him for all he's done for the team over the years?

Hendrix22 said: ↑

What can he prove here you ask? IMO Benzema can easily move up from where he sits in ATG rankings because this is where additional accolades make a difference compared to other greats. Another Liga/CL/Pichichi/longetivity record? He climbs up the list. This is what Cristiano wanted, but he had to face reality that hes finished. We have an even better example of what "finished" looks like with Hazard on the team. Is Benzema finished? When you look at them two and then you look at him, one is different than the two.

So lets call spade a spade. He went for unreal amount of money. And this is one of my biggest issues: its literally unreal, in the sense that its just so much to the point that it loses meaning. You can't even count it or know what to do with it. For a multimillionaire footballer who loves the game and the success and the glory, unreal money shouldn't be the deciding factor. Especially not when hes still at Madrid level. Or isn't he?
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He is not completely finished; but his level/consistency has declined dramatically since last season. He is injured every other weekend and he knows his limits. He understands that now is the right time to let go. He made the right move.

Now let him retire in peace and enjoy his millions.

robertocarlos3 · Jun 4, 2023

Raul-7 said: ↑

Why do you get to decide his future? Did you ever consider maybe he wants to move to Saudi Arabia for religious and cultural reasons [as well as the money - any sane person would take that money]? What does Benzema have to prove by staying in Madrid for 1 more season?

He HAS won and done it all. Give him a break.

I bet when Messi goes to al-Hilal next week you won't be as spiteful, because 'he deserves it'.
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Come on... Religion had nothing to do with this move, nor did culture (Benz is more Spanish and French than anything else).
It's all about the money and it's perfectly fine. Let him cache out.
I think he also felt that another season in 3 competitions will take an even higher toll on him than this season and didn't want to break his buddy - which is also fine.

robertocarlos3 · Jun 4, 2023

Hendrix22 said: ↑

"The internet is not the reality". smh.

I guess it was too much to expect that a footballer would refuse money. Apparently it would be dumb to do that, even if you're a multimillionaire who has his future secured a long time ago and whose personal vocation is not business but sport, with all the different values and principles between the two.

What is more interesting to me is this sentiment about how it is suddenly the right time for him to go to the Saudi retirement home, and thats what makes it different from mercenaries like Mbappe.

But, if thats the case, and in fact the key player that we relied on and believed in to repeat CL and La Liga the past season was actually Saudi league level, it means Florentino messed up big time, and the fanbase that wasn't aware of this (myself included) has been brainwashed.

But of course we know by now I'm a certified idiot, so hoping that the Madrid captain and current BDO holder can stand up and tell the people who became gods through corruption, exploitation and environmental destruction to feck off because he still wants to win, was obviously something an idiot would hope for.

Going further from simple footballing reasons is even more laughable.

I mean, why would the official best player in the world captaining the official best club in the world, a role model of millions of young people in the world, even consider how he is involved and contributing in issues like extreme inequality or climate collapse? Just get the bag bro. Thats the objective of the game. Use that bag to buy some more cars and palaces. You can never have enough of them.

At least we still have Vinicius to cheer for leading the anti racism campaign, in order to feel good and smart being on the right side. That power relations and the material dialectics in which the former are situated drive the whole racism issue, thats just too much to think about. As long as the money machine keeps pumping and the cancerous neoliberal logic of maximization is accepted as "culture", within this framework we can stand up for anything. But only within the framework.

As a player Benzema was different. I believe he still is. But he's still just a player. Not different from the rest of a very ********ed up world.

Thanks. Also for the great example of why would you need money when you can live rent free.
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Dude, if you want to not use money from any corrupt country, or products from companies that don't hurt the environment - you'll soon find out you'll be living in a tent and basically living on some nuts and seeds you'll be collecting from land that is owned by someone that is corrupted as well.

ImadEdd · Jun 4, 2023

robertocarlos3 said: ↑

Dude, if you want to not use money from any corrupt country, or products from companies that don't hurt the environment - you'll soon find out you'll be living in a tent and basically living on some nuts and seeds you'll be collecting from land that is owned by someone that is corrupted as well.
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What about the tent? Probably a corrupt capitalist produced it. Throw them all in jail.

That’s just bitterness because he doesn’t like the Arab evils. Already joined my ignore list.

HZinho · Jun 4, 2023

Hendrix22 said: ↑

First, I hold Benzema to higher standards than the midget.

Second, he could have left years ago, and you could still say that he won it all and went for a new challenge. However this isn't a challenge.

What can he prove here you ask? IMO Benzema can easily move up from where he sits in ATG rankings because this is where additional accolades make a difference compared to other greats. Another Liga/CL/Pichichi/longetivity record? He climbs up the list. This is what Cristiano wanted, but he had to face reality that hes finished. We have an even better example of what "finished" looks like with Hazard on the team. Is Benzema finished? When you look at them two and then you look at him, one is different than the two.

So lets call spade a spade. He went for unreal amount of money. And this is one of my biggest issues: its literally unreal, in the sense that its just so much to the point that it loses meaning. You can't even count it or know what to do with it. For a multimillionaire footballer who loves the game and the success and the glory, unreal money shouldn't be the deciding factor. Especially not when hes still at Madrid level. Or isn't he?

Of course, hes free to decide his future, but I'm free to have a negative opinion on that decision. Just as I was disappointed from Mbappe's decision, I am now from Benzema's.
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I think you're overthinking this by quite a margin. The guy has achieved everything in club football, gave us his absolute best years, put the club first at all times and went for a graceful exit before he would become a burden. To make it all better: he's getting paid a handsome amount of money as well. If you ask me, he's had close to a perfect club career and this step (to a lower level league) is actually more of step towards perfection of his club career than not. If someone deserves it, it's Benzema!

Hendrix22 · Jun 4, 2023

Raul-7 said: ↑

It's not meant to be; he's retiring - similar to how Bale, Andrea Pirlo. Lampard, David Villa, Henry, etc. went to the MLS. Are they all failures?

Why can't you thank him for all he's done for the team over the years?

He is not completely finished; but his level/consistency has declined dramatically since last season. He is injured every other weekend and he knows his limits. He understands that now is the right time to let go. He made the right move.

Now let him retire in peace and enjoy his millions.
Click to expand...

Bale Pirlo etc. were finished at the highest level when they went to the MLS. Benzema isn't. His level/consistency could have been remedied by sharing time with another elite striker at Madrid, not by dropping to the Saudi league.

I can thank him for what hes done for the club, and at the same time I can be critical for this decision. They are two different things. And I think he was already enjoying his millions, many of them.

robertocarlos3 said: ↑

Dude, if you want to not use money from any corrupt country, or products from companies that don't hurt the environment - you'll soon find out you'll be living in a tent and basically living on some nuts and seeds you'll be collecting from land that is owned by someone that is corrupted as well.
Click to expand...

There are levels to what is acceptable and it depends on many factors. Its not black and white. If you want to be pure you would consider playing for Madrid unethical as well. But he had a choice between that and a much worse alternative (from an ethical perspective) and he made the wrong one IMO.

robertocarlos3 · Jun 4, 2023

ImadEdd said: ↑

What about the tent? Probably a corrupt capitalist produced it. Throw them all in jail.

That’s just bitterness because he doesn’t like the Arab evils. Already joined my ignore list.
Click to expand...

To be honest, I don't like oil money and what it brings to football in general - mainly making this sport way more corrupted than before.
And Saudi Arabia is definitely not a model of democracy or equality in any way, but between that and not letting a legend get a comfortable retirement plan - there's a big gap.

russian hattie · Jun 4, 2023

Hendrix22 said: ↑

"The internet is not the reality". smh.

I guess it was too much to expect that a footballer would refuse money. Apparently it would be dumb to do that, even if you're a multimillionaire who has his future secured a long time ago and whose personal vocation is not business but sport, with all the different values and principles between the two.

What is more interesting to me is this sentiment about how it is suddenly the right time for him to go to the Saudi retirement home, and thats what makes it different from mercenaries like Mbappe.

But, if thats the case, and in fact the key player that we relied on and believed in to repeat CL and La Liga the past season was actually Saudi league level, it means Florentino messed up big time, and the fanbase that wasn't aware of this (myself included) has been brainwashed.

But of course we know by now I'm a certified idiot, so hoping that the Madrid captain and current BDO holder can stand up and tell the people who became gods through corruption, exploitation and environmental destruction to feck off because he still wants to win, was obviously something an idiot would hope for.

Going further from simple footballing reasons is even more laughable.

I mean, why would the official best player in the world captaining the official best club in the world, a role model of millions of young people in the world, even consider how he is involved and contributing in issues like extreme inequality or climate collapse? Just get the bag bro. Thats the objective of the game. Use that bag to buy some more cars and palaces. You can never have enough of them.

At least we still have Vinicius to cheer for leading the anti racism campaign, in order to feel good and smart being on the right side. That power relations and the material dialectics in which the former are situated drive the whole racism issue, thats just too much to think about. As long as the money machine keeps pumping and the cancerous neoliberal logic of maximization is accepted as "culture", within this framework we can stand up for anything. But only within the framework.

As a player Benzema was different. I believe he still is. But he's still just a player. Not different from the rest of a very ********ed up world.

Thanks. Also for the great example of why would you need money when you can live rent free.
Click to expand...

Lol what the hell

Hendrix22 · Jun 4, 2023

Also such a rushed inconspicuous exit together with deadwood like Mariano and co. So sudden, with zero ceremony, tribute and emotion. Far from befitting to how special he was to this club.

Seoul Villan · Jun 4, 2023

Should have left last season IMO, when we could have gotten Haaland.

arcane · Jun 4, 2023

Hendrix22 said: ↑

Also such a rushed inconspicuous exit together with deadwood like Mariano and co. So sudden, with zero ceremony, tribute and emotion. Far from befitting to how special he was to this club.
Click to expand...

What would you have the club do?

Its not like Perez called up the Saudis and told them when to submit their interest in Benz.

Saeta Rubia · Jun 4, 2023

AU REVOIR pic.twitter.com/NgnOYKIm1B
— marselle (@yesnocse) June 4, 2023

AU REVOIR pic.twitter.com/NgnOYKIm1B
— marselle (@yesnocse) June 4, 2023

Excape Goat · Jun 4, 2023

I used to hate him liked everyone else. I have written many negative posts about him over here. Then, one day, I had an enlightenment. I suddenly saw something special about him. The following post did generate a lot of negative replies, but I did not care. Even before the departure of Ronaldo, I knew that he was someone special. From then on, I decided to defend him in RMBS. I do not claim to be one of the wiser posters here, but Benzema saved my rep in this forum by silencing his critics. Thank you.

Excape Goat said: ↑

For any other club, the #9 is the main scoring threat. For us, it won't be him as long as Ronaldo is on the team. I used to hate Benzema until early this year. I started to understand his role. He is a goal-wasting machine, but if he made Ronaldo a better player. then, we had to live with it.

Some of his fans said that he made Ronaldo a better player. The video showed why Benzema is good for Ronaldo. Benzema is not the best wing-player in the world, but he moves in sync with Ronaldo He might not be the best passer, but his short and soft passes iaround the box can be lethal.. He is not good dribbler/striker liked Ronaldo 9, but he controlled the ball well in tight space. The video did not talk about his size and strength. He used that to shield the ball. That is why Morata and Higuain have to make way for him. His game is about the combination of size to hold the ball, soft touches/pases and dribbling ability in tight space.... all that for a number 9. That created space and time for Ronaldo.

I chose one of his worst game to illustrate my point. He missed at least two easy chances, but he picked up two assists with his soft touches. He had some wing plays where he did enough to dribble past the defenders, using his size and skills. Ronaldo nearly scored a bicycle. Benzema beat his defender with not the most fancy dribble skill. At 5:35, he protected the ball well on the wing with his back. Most strikers can do it, but not with Benzema's soft touches.

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Saeta Rubia · Jun 4, 2023

🇫🇷 Signed for €35m at 21 years old, 647 games, 354 goals, 165 assists, 25 titles & 1 Ballon d’Or later Karim Benzema officially ends his Real Madrid career.

✨ Gracias, @Benzema pic.twitter.com/XUzVBrj2YT
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) June 4, 2023

Saeta Rubia · Jun 5, 2023

Karim Benzema cried when he first saw his name on the Real Madrid shirt and Cristiano Ronaldo offered him his glasses to cover the tears. 🥲 pic.twitter.com/f9bW8wpMUK
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) June 5, 2023

Nir_O · Jun 5, 2023

🚨🌕| Karim Benzema ➡️ Al-Ittihad — HERE WE GO! @FabrizioRomano ✅🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/QLd4nSQb9f
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) June 5, 2023

🚨🇸🇦 Karim Benzema has signed main part of docs to become new Al Ittihad player joining the Saudi league — here we go!

Understand contract will be valid until 2025 but will also include option for further season.

Karim will say goodbye to Madrid fans then travel to Saudi. pic.twitter.com/OCzwszv2OL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 5, 2023

arcane · Jun 5, 2023

Karim looks better in white.

Hendrix22 · Jun 5, 2023

arcane said: ↑

What would you have the club do?

Its not like Perez called up the Saudis and told them when to submit their interest in Benz.
Click to expand...

I would have the club tell Benzema that hes still a key player that we need to win trophies here, and that hes under contract so can go after his contract expires next summer, because otherwise its messing up our squad planning.

Excape Goat said: ↑

I used to hate him liked everyone else. I have written many negative posts about him over here. Then, one day, I had an enlightenment. I suddenly saw something special about him. The following post did generate a lot of negative replies, but I did not care. Even before the departure of Ronaldo, I knew that he was someone special. From then on, I decided to defend him in RMBS. I do not claim to be one of the wiser posters here, but Benzema saved my rep in this forum by silencing his critics. Thank you.
Click to expand...

The way people are talking here now, you would think that back in the day there was like one guy who was shitting on Benzema for not scoring and everybody else were ridiculing that guy as they knew hes more than that with the linkup ability. And not the other way around

The quoted post is from 2018, I was saying this around 2014. But as much as everyone were wrong in those times, I was even more for believing he can only be a "Pippen" and he can never be "Jordan" and fill Cristiano's shoes. Thats why now I am skeptical of this idea that hes washed up and its time to go to Arabia. He only seemed marginally worse physically compared to last season, and that can be attributed to the heavy workload.

Bear Crotch · Jun 5, 2023

If I recall correctly, in that earth shattering summer of 2009 Flo stated he purchased the past best player, current best player and future best player in Benzema.

To say it was always smooth sailing for Karim in Madrid is not accurate and his potential wasn't truly fulfilled until later on he was more Zidane than R9. His transformation in 18-19 until now has cemented his legacy with the club.

hector_br · Jun 5, 2023

His Balon D'Or season was one of the coolest ones I watched as a madridista. He was simply above anyone else. His PK against City showed how confident he was at the time.

I also believe that season burned him out for good. It's not easy to be the best on the planet at 34. I'm glad he could lift the CdR trophy too this year as a nice farewell, but I think his work was already done last season.

4x4s · Jun 6, 2023

He chose against having an official farewell at the Bernabeu and wanted to do a humble and small event in the press room instead.

Doesn't like to do media so there was no press conference with questions and interaction, basically a statement with no press conference.

Didn't seem overly emotional or shed tears like others.

Very much on brand for a very low key, down to earth, keeping his life to himself guy.

For all the flash on social media, the private shenanigans, we have to also admit that Benzema has been the most down to earth, keeping to himself media superstar this club has seen.

Nathanial Essex · Jun 6, 2023

Saeta Rubia said: ↑

🇫🇷 Signed for €35m at 21 years old, 647 games, 354 goals, 165 assists, 25 titles & 1 Ballon d’Or later Karim Benzema officially ends his Real Madrid career.

✨ Gracias, @Benzema pic.twitter.com/XUzVBrj2YT
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) June 4, 2023

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I'm so glad he grew a beard.

hector_br · Jun 6, 2023

Benz tries so hard not to cry lol.
Guess it would make him look like a pvssy to his thug life friends or something.

SayWhatIWant · Jun 6, 2023

hector_br said: ↑

Benz tries so hard not to cry lol.
Guess it would make him look like a pvssy to his thug life friends or something.
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Huh

Nir_O · Jun 6, 2023

🚨 Official: Karim Benzema joins Al-Ittihad. pic.twitter.com/jDkLF6oqZw
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) June 6, 2023