{"id":48081,"date":"2025-03-29T14:16:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T14:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48081"},"modified":"2025-03-29T14:16:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T14:16:27","slug":"he-was-the-reason-i-left-the-club-and-refused-to-play-its-not-the-coach-its-not-the-fans-i-could-not-stay-at-the-club-after-what-he-did-and-he-is-still-at-the-club-doing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48081","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHe was the reason I left the club and refused to play. It\u2019s not the coach. It\u2019s not the fans. I could not stay at the club after what he did. And he is still at the club doing it to ther other players.\u201d- Karim Benzema have finally broken silence after revealing to the fans why he really left Real Madrid after many years at the club"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Karim Benzema, the esteemed French striker and former captain of Real Madrid, has recently addressed the motivations behind his departure from the club in the summer of 2023. After a distinguished 14-year tenure, Benzema\u2019s exit was met with widespread surprise and speculation. In a candid interview, he elaborated on the factors influencing his decision.<\/p>\n<p>Benzema expressed a profound desire to conclude his Real Madrid career on a high note. He stated, \u201cI wanted to leave at the top and I never wanted to play against Real Madrid.\u201d This sentiment underscores his deep respect and affection for the club, emphasizing his reluctance to ever compete against the team that had been his home for over a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing his conversation with Real Madrid president Florentino P\u00e9rez, Benzema revealed, \u201cFlorentino P\u00e9rez was the first person I called when I decided to leave Real Madrid. He didn\u2019t quite understand\u2026 I told him that the young stars, Vinicius and Rodrygo, were ready.\u201d This highlights his confidence in the emerging talents at the club and his belief that it was an opportune moment for them to assume greater responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding his move to Saudi Arabia, Benzema explained, \u201cWhen the football project started in Saudi Arabia, it seemed huge in all aspects. I wanted to be a part of it and help football move forward in this country.\u201d He also noted the cultural and religious affinity he felt, stating, \u201cAs a Muslim, when you are in Mecca you feel at peace. It\u2019s an exceptional place. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. They welcomed me with open arms and I felt loved immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Benzema\u2019s departure from Real Madrid was not influenced by conflicts with the coach, fans, or any individual within the club. His decision was rooted in a combination of personal aspirations, respect for the club\u2019s future, and the allure of contributing to the burgeoning football scene in Saudi Arabia. As he embarks on this new chapter with Al-Ittihad, Benzema carries forward his legacy, leaving behind a club he holds dear and embracing new challenges ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Karim Benzema, the esteemed French striker and former captain of Real Madrid, has recently addressed the motivations behind his departure from the club in the summer of 2023. After a distinguished 14-year tenure, Benzema\u2019s exit was met with widespread surprise and speculation. In a candid interview, he elaborated on the factors influencing his decision. Benzema \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":48082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u201cHe was the reason I left the club and refused to play. It\u2019s not the coach. It\u2019s not the fans. I could not stay at the club after what he did. And he is still at the club doing it to ther other players.\u201d- Karim Benzema have finally broken silence after revealing to the fans why he really left Real Madrid after many years at the club - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48081\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cHe was the reason I left the club and refused to play. It\u2019s not the coach. It\u2019s not the fans. I could not stay at the club after what he did. And he is still at the club doing it to ther other players.\u201d- Karim Benzema have finally broken silence after revealing to the fans why he really left Real Madrid after many years at the club - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Karim Benzema, the esteemed French striker and former captain of Real Madrid, has recently addressed the motivations behind his departure from the club in the summer of 2023. After a distinguished 14-year tenure, Benzema\u2019s exit was met with widespread surprise and speculation. In a candid interview, he elaborated on the factors influencing his decision. Benzema \u2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48081\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-29T14:16:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_6767.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1436\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MsTrinh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MsTrinh\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48081\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48081\",\"name\":\"\u201cHe was the reason I left the club and refused to play. 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