‘One word above all… legend’: Real Madrid stars past and present pay homage to Karim Benzema as the club announce he will leave the Santiago Bernabéu this summer… with Man United defender Raphael Varane paying tribute to his former team-mate
Karim Benzema’s past and present colleagues have taken to social media to respond to the news of the France international’s departure from the club.
The 35-year-old announced his decision to leave the Spanish giants at the end of the season, and was closely linked with the move to the Saudi Professional League.
Real Madrid revealed, that the club intends to hold a tribute and farewell to their captain in the city on Tuesday to honor his successful period with the club.
Many of his teammates took to social media to respond to the news, with Aurelien Tchoameni kicking off the tribute by calling him a legend on Twitter.
His France teammate Raphael Varane got in on the action, releasing a longer message to his former Real Madrid teammate where he wrote: ‘Goals, memories, trophies and respect. One word above all… legend. Good luck on your next chapter, Friese.
Karim Benzema could join Cristiano Ronaldo by playing in the Saudi League
Los Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has paid tribute by posting ‘KB9’ with a white heart, showing Benzema’s connection to his club.
Brazilian duo Rodrigo and Vinicius Jr added to the post on Instagram, both of them commenting crying emojis as they bid farewell to the club legend.
While it’s unclear what the future holds for the Real Madrid captain, Benzema is said to be set to join Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad on a two-year deal worth around £345m.
The potential move would see the 35-year-old face off against former teammate and friend Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Professional League.
It remains to be seen if the move will materialize, with several alternative clubs sure to revolve around the Los Blancos icon.
