- AP Photo
VIVA – Karim Benzema has officially been introduced in front of 60,000 supporters inside the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium after joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. Then, he revealed the reason why he joins the team.
Benzema left Real Madrid and decided to move to the Saudi Arabian League. Benzema admitted that his move was also because he wants to live in a Muslim country. He also was given an initial contract for a year, and there is an extension option in 2026. The salary given is 100 million euros (IDR 1.6 trillion) per season.
Before agreeing to join Al Ittihad, Karim Benzema had already come to Saudi Arabia. He felt very comfortable. His family was happy when he was told about this.
"Because I am Muslim and it's a Muslim country. I've always wanted to live there. I've already been to Saudi Arabia and I feel good about it," Benzema stated.
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"To me, it's where I want to be. I hope for my new club, what I'll be able to bring is my football and most importantly to be able to win titles. It's a new chapter for me and I would like to further advance the club. It's a club with a lot of passion," he added.
Benzema is of Muslim faith and now finds himself playing in the 'holy kingdom' where Islam is practiced by 90 percent of the population. He has scored 354 goals in 648 games and won a club-record 25 trophies during his time with the La Liga side.
With Al Ittihad, the French striker wants to be able to have a positive impact. One of them is to continue to raise the level of the club by recording achievements, "I want to continue to raise the level of the club. The stadium is amazing, and as I have said, and I will repeat, there is a lot of passion. A good team always needs fans.”
