Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema (, born 19 December 1987 in Lyon), is a France Association football who plays as a striker for the La Liga club Real Madrid C.F. and the France national football team.

Benzema came through the Olympique Lyonnais Reserves and Academy and has been Cap (sport) at senior level for France. Karim Benzema played in UEFA Euro 2008 and was the Top goalscorers in Ligue 1 in Ligue 1 for the Ligue 1 2007–08, just 3 seasons after making Karim Benzema professional debut. This was also Karim Benzema breakthrough season which saw Karim Benzema earn many awards and a new contract which resulted in Karim Benzema becoming one of the highest-paid footballers in France.

On 1 July 2009, it was announced that Lyon had reached an agreement with La Liga club Real Madrid C.F. for the transfer of Benzema. The transfer fee was priced at €35m with the fee rising to as much as €41m based on incentives.
On 9 July, Benzema completed Karim Benzema transfer after taking a medical and signing Karim Benzema six-year contract.

Early life

Born in Lyon to parents of Algerian-Kabyle people descent, Karim grew up with 8 siblings and Karim Benzema father Hafid in the district of Bron. Karim Benzema grandfather, Da Lakehal Benzema, lived in the village of Tighzert, located in the northern town of Beni Djellil in Algeria before migrating to Lyon, where Karim Benzema eventually settled, in the 1950s.

Lyon

Early career

Benzema is a product of the Olympique Lyonnais Reserves and Academy. Before joining Lyon, Karim Benzema trained at local Rhône-Alpes club Bron Terraillon SC in the commune Bron, a suburb of Lyon. Karim Benzema performances with Bron's youth team caught the attention of Lyon scouts and Karim Benzema joined the academy in 1996 at the age of 9. Benzema quickly ascending up the ranks scoring 38 goals in one season with Olympique_Lyonnais_Reserves_and_Academy Current_Academy_players and scoring 12 goals in 14 matches with Olympique Lyonnais Reserves and Academy Olympique Lyonnais CFA before earning a call up to the senior squad by manager Paul Le Guen.

Karim Benzema made Karim Benzema league debut for Lyon on January 15, 2005, during the Ligue 1 season 2004-05, in a match against FC Metz coming on as a substitute in the 77^th minute. Lyon won the match 2–0 with Benzema providing the assist on the second goal scored by Bryan Bergougnoux. Five days later, Karim Benzema signed Karim Benzema first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal. Over the next two seasons, Karim Benzema play was limited making a total of 34 appearances and scoring 6 goals, including Karim Benzema first ever against AC Ajaccio in a 3–1 win, as well as Karim Benzema first UEFA Champions League goal against Norway club Rosenborg BK in a 2–1 victory.

Breakout season

For the Ligue 1 2007-08 season, with the likes of Florent Malouda, John Carew, and Sylvain Wiltord all departing the club, Benzema, despite being 19 at the time, switched to the number 10 shirt and was given control of the attack. After forming a special relationship with new manager Alain Perrin, Karim Benzema was given the lead striker role and responded with 31 goals in 51 games. Karim Benzema topped the league with 20 goals, scored four goals in the UEFA Champions League, one in the Coupe de la Ligue, and totaled 6 goals in six Coupe de France matches helping Lyon win their first ever The Double. Some of Karim Benzema more dazzling performances that season included a hat trick against FC Metz on 15 September, an Equaliser (sports) in the 90^th minute from a Direct free kick against Derby du Rhône rivals AS Saint-Étienne, and a goal against RC Lens that was nominated for goal of the season by fans. After receiving the ball on the left wing from Nadir Belhadj, Benzema became engulfed by midfielder Yohan Demont and Defender (football) Fabien Laurenti. Rather than being forced to play the ball out of bounds, Benzema performed a backheel Nutmeg (football) on Laurenti causing the defender to fall down and allowing Benzema to escaped the Double team. Benzema continued through to goal and capped the run by blasting a right-footed shot past the shocked Croatia Vedran Runje.

In the Champions League, Benzema scored an important brace against Rangers FC at Ibrox Park on the last match day of UEFA_Champions_League_2007–08 Group_stage. The 3–0 victory assured Lyon progression to the knockout rounds. In UEFA_Champions_League_2007–08 Knockout_stage, Lyon faced Manchester United F.C. and Benzema continued Karim Benzema great form scoring on a blistering left-footed shot in the 54^th minute, despite being surrounded by five United players. The match ended in a 1–1 draw and United eventually won the tie 1–2 on aggregate. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and players praised Benzema for Karim Benzema performance. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas later accused Ferguson of tapping-up Benzema.



On 13 March 2008, Benzema extended Karim Benzema contract with Lyon until 2013 with a one year extension option. After signing Karim Benzema new contract, Benzema became one of the highest paid footballers in France. For Karim Benzema efforts that season, Karim Benzema was named the Ligue 1 Trophées UNFP du football Player of the Year, selected to the Trophées UNFP du football 2009, and awarded the Trophée du Meilleur Buteur for being the league's top scorer. Karim Benzema was also shortlisted by the French magazine France Football for the Ballon d'Or 2008 award, won by Cristiano Ronaldo.

2008–09 season

Karim got off to a good start for the Ligue 1 season 2008–09 scoring a brace in Lyon's opening league match against Toulouse FC. The following three weeks, Karim Benzema scored goals against Rhône-Alpes rivals Grenoble Foot 38 and Saint-Étienne and scored a goal against OGC Nice converting a penalty in the dying seconds. Lyon won all three matches. Due to Karim Benzema great start, Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas quelled the many transfer rumors surrounding Benzema by placing a €100 million price tag on the striker. Karim Benzema was also nominated alongside Franck Ribéry to be featured on the France cover of the video game FIFA 09.

Karim Benzema scored Karim Benzema seventh goal of the league on 29 October scoring in the 2–0 win over FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. Benzema scored again the following weekend, in a 2–0 win over Le Mans. Karim Benzema was among the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League 2008–09 group stage scoring 5 goals, a brace against FC Steaua Bucureşti, two goals in two matches against ACF Fiorentina, and a goal against the eventual group winners FC Bayern Munich on the final match day.

Following the Christmas and holiday season, Benzema endured a rough patch going scoreless the first three games before recording Karim Benzema 11^th goal of the season against Nice in a 3–1 victory. Two weeks later, Karim Benzema scored Karim Benzema 12^th goal against AS Nancy in a 2–0 victory. The next nine matches, both Benzema and Lyon's form dwindled losing four matches, drawing three, and winning only two with Benzema scoring only two goals in that stretch, a brace against Le Mans in a 3–1 victory. The bad form resulted in Lyon losing their grip on 1^st place position and eventually falling out of the title race, thus ending their streak of seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles. Benzema was a part of four of those title runs.

Despite losing the title, Benzema got back on track scoring Karim Benzema 15^th and 16^th goals of the season on 17 May in a 3–1 away victory over rivals Olympique de Marseille, the first goal being a penalty. Karim Benzema scored Karim Benzema 17^th goal the following weekend against SM Caen in a 3–1 victory moving Karim Benzema into third place among Ligue 1 top scorers.

Real Madrid

On 1 July 2009, it was announced that Lyon had reached an agreement with Spain club Real Madrid for the transfer of Benzema. The transfer fee was priced at €35m with the fee rising to as much as €41m based on incentives. On 9 July, Benzema successfully passed Karim Benzema medical and signed Karim Benzema contract, a six-year deal, later that afternoon. Karim Benzema was presented officially as a Real Madrid player later that night at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium similarly to previous signings Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Benzema made Karim Benzema Real Madrid debut on 20 July in the club's opening pre-season Exhibition match against Ireland club Shamrock Rovers F.C. in Dublin, appearing as a halftime substitute. Karim Benzema scored the lone goal in the club's 1–0 win, scoring in the 87^th minute.

International career

Benzema has earned caps with all of France national youth football team. In 2004, Karim Benzema was a part of the under-17 squad that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, their first ever. Before representing France, Benzema was eligible for Algeria national football team and was called up to the squad by the Fédération Algérienne de Football in December 2006, but turned them down stating, "Algeria is my parents’ country and it is in my heart, but football-wise I will only play for the French national team."

On 28 March 2007, Benzema won Karim Benzema first Cap (sport) for France national football team against Austria national football team, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win for France. Karim Benzema next two goals came in one game against the Faroe Islands national football team, who France subsequently beat 6–0.

Karim Benzema was selected to represent France at UEFA Euro 2008. France's Euro 2008 campaign got off to a bad start with a 0–0 draw against Romania national football team and after a muted performance, Karim Benzema was substituted in the second half and played no part in their following game, a 1–4 defeat to the Netherlands national football team. In the last group game, France lost 2-0 to Italy national football team and Benzema featured in the starting lineup.Karim Benzema has now adopted the number ten for France. Karim Benzema scored Karim Benzema last goal for France from the penalty spot against Turkey national football team on 5 June 2009 in a friendly where they won 1–0.