Former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has labelled current club striker Karim Benzema as “one of the best players of the last decade”.
The two players signed for the club in the summer of 2009 after Benzema joined from Lyon and Alonso moved from Premier League side Liverpool.
Why does Alonso ranks Benzema as one of the best players of the last decade? 5 things you should know.
- Benzema joined Real Madrid in 2009 having scored 66 goals in 158 games for Lyon.
- The Frenchman would link up well with Cristiano Ronaldo through the latter’s spell in Spain, though fell into his shadow.
- Due to this, Benzema has been unfairly criticised by many who believe he does live up to Madrid’s high standards.
- But Xabi Alonso has called Benzema one of the best forwards in the world, insisting his performances are integral to the team.
- Benzema has scored 202 goals for Real Madrid in all competitions, the seventh most of any player in the club’s history.
Speaking with Realmadrid TV’s Tertulia Magazine, Benzema sat with former teammates Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa as they discussed all things Real Madrid, which encourage both former stars to heap praise on the Frenchman.
Alonso said: “Benzema is among the best of the last decade.
“I love how he plays and links up with his teammates. I’ve always been keen on this kind of forward. I believe he’s one of the best of the last decade.
“He’s a spectacular player, the kind of guy I would always like to have as a teammate and as a player in general. He’s not a number nine in the box, he’s got a lot more to his game than that.
“He comes short, frees up the space… That gives the game far more depth. When Karim plays well, the team plays well”.
Benzema is so difficult to mark – Arbeloa
Arbeloa joined in on the Benzema-praising act, stating how hard of a player he was to play against with his constant movement and ability to put the ball in the back of the net.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Karim, he’s so difficult to mark, I’ve had to suffer through it in training,” said Arbeloa.
“You see Karim’s stats and then look at the players who appear alongside him on these lists and you realise he’s a legendary player for Real Madrid and in world football.
“He’s a ten-out-of-ten in everything. He’s been a bit more selfish in front of goal this year, in the best sense of the word, and finishing lots of moves he starts.
“We’re seeing a more mature Karim, who speaks to the young lads and gives them advice. He’s an example and we’re proud to have him as one of us.”
QUIZ: Can you name every Real Madrid manager under Florentino Perez?
Since signing in 2009, with Manuel Pellegrini in charge, Karim Benzema has played under seven managers at Real Madrid. Test your knowledge with our Sporcle quiz, and let us know how you get on in the comments below or through Twitter @Squawka.
The post Karim Benzema is one of the best players of the last decade, says Xabi Alonso appeared first on Squawka News.
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