Karim Benzema French footballer in jeopardy
In 2006, France lost a hero in the shape of Zinedine Zidane. His notorious exit from the World Cup finals feels as if a project has been left undone. That is exactly what football experts believe when they discuss French football now. They are continuously looking for a new man on the horizon. However, the man who has stepped up to fill the void is not even in their World Cup squad. Karim Benzema is the man in focus.
He has a deep insight in developing mid-field strategies in order to net the ball, which is incomparable to any footballer playing in France. He led Lyon to the top of the table in Ligue 1 and he has the same plans for Real Madrid. He had a normal season at Real but that does not seem good enough for Raymond Domenech who is the manager of the French team. Karim has been left out of the initial squad of 30 out of which a team of 23 men will be selected for the tournament. Benzema’s birthplace is in Lyon, France who was born on 19 December 1987.
He hails from Algeria, which was previously a French colony during the era of colonization. His passion for football arose when he was just 9 years old. At this tender age, he started playing football for a local club by the name of Bron Terraillon SC. It was during his stay at this club when Lyon picked him up at the age of nine. He was the star everywhere from then on. He progressed ahead and when on to score 38 goals for the under-16 side. During his football career as an under-18 player at Lyon, Benzema scored 12 goals in 14 matches. He stared big at a young age in the UEFA European Championship too.
Benzema did not have any good statistics to mention about when he came to Lyon. He did not get enough time to perform on the football field. As a result, he had to wait for the experienced players to retire. However, once he got his opportunity, he featured amongst the best players that Lyon ever produced. By the end of his first season, Karim Benzema produced 31 stunning goals in 51 matches. He was the leading goal scorer in Ligue 1 and was the reason why Lyon won its fourth consecutive title. Benzema's performances pushed him towards the world stage. Next year, Lyon played against Manchester United where Sir Alex Ferguson noticed his amazing capabilities. It was assumed that the future of Benzema might be linked with the Red Devils but time proved wrong.
At the end of the season, Benzema renewed his contract with Lyon and made himself one of the most expensive players in the world. He had a splendid season in the following year as well. Apart from winning Ligue 1 again, he got the Player of the Year Award as well. His final season with Lyon was not as great as the preceding one. Luck was not on his side as Benzema finished with the third highest score in Ligue 1. His lack of performance resulted in Lyon failing to capture its eighth consecutive Ligue title. However, by now, Benzema was considered an excellent player and many clubs were interested in acquiring him. In the end, he was bought by Real Madrid for a whopping €41 million fee. Experts believe that he was under-rated at the time due to which he received a much lower price.
With a star-studded team, Benzema faced various problems with the players; similar to the ones he had faced with Lyon. However, he soon overcame that and led the score sheet in the preseason. Quite recently, his exclusion from the French squad can also be a result of his s*x scandal. A couple of French footballers were accused of having s*x with an escort girl named Zahia Dehar who confirmed the allegations. The issue took a turn for the worst when it came into attention that she was a minor. Now the French players can face up to 3 years in prison. If Benzema is found to be guilty, his career will probably be over. Benzema is hoping to recover from this bad luck and hopes that his future with France will be brighter. Regarding his new club, Benzema said, “I did not sign for Madrid to sign for another club soon after. I want to succeed here.”
Tags: