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Karim Benzema has revealed the struggles of his first season at Real Madrid.
The Frenchman signed for Los Blancos at age 21 from Lyon, and moved to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium at the same time as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká.
On Wednesday, the forward is the protagonist of the latest edition of Universo Valdano on the #Vamos de Movistar channel, where he spoke extensively with Jorge Valdano.
During the interview, Benzema revealed how he first learned of Real Madrid’s interest while back home in the Bron district of Lyon.
“My friends, family and agents told me, ‘You have to go home,'” he told Valdano.
“I told them I couldn’t and they insisted: ‘You have to come, here is Florentino Pérez.’
“I didn’t talk much. I just said hi.
“I opened the door and saw it.
“I remember what he said to me: ‘Have I your word?’ … and I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’
However, Benzema soon realized that adjusting to life in the Spanish capital was not going to be easy.
He lagged behind Gonzalo Higuaín in Manuel Pellegrini’s pecking order, in part due to what was happening off the field.
“I was not mentally prepared for what Real Madrid means,” Benzema continued.
“The team, the fans, the pressure, the city …
“He was alone, he didn’t speak Spanish. It was difficult.
“If you don’t feel good off the pitch, it’s difficult.
“That’s what happened to me in my first season.”
Now Benzema has 250 goals to his name at Real Madrid, the fifth top scorer in the club’s history, but insists it’s not just about finding the net.
“A forward has to know how to do a lot of things, not just score goals,” Benzema added.
“I can score goals, but if I don’t touch the ball for 90 minutes, that’s a problem.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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