Karim Benzema claims that he always wanted to live in Saudi Arabia while explaining his reasoning behind moving to Al-Ittihad in June.
After 14 years at Real Madrid in which he won countless trophies and the 2022 Ballon d'Or, Benzema decided to move to the Saudi Pro League as a free agent in the summer. Signing a three-year contract with Al-Ittihad, the Frenchman is happy to be living in the Middle East and helping the standard of the league develop.
"Well with everything I've made and gained with Real Madrid, I think it was for me the good moment to try a new challenge," Benzema told the Saudi Pro League's media.
"For a really long time even before football, I always wanted to come here. Also, it's a Muslim country. Straight away I felt this love for me. On and off the pitch I feel good.
"This country welcomed me with open arms. I feel the love of the people here so obviously that makes me happy."
In the opening months of the 2023/24 season, Benzema has managed three goals and two assists in seven starts in the league, as the Saudi champions flounder somewhat in the table. Al-Ittihad sit fourth, while Neymar's Al-Hilal are top and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are third.
Just four points separate the top five after nine games, however, with plenty of time left in the campaign for things to flip considerably.
Regardless, Benzema is happy with the standard of football in Saudi Arabia, and is confident that his presence, alongside many other household names, will help the sport develop even more in the region.
"I really want to help Saudi football grow," he added. "It [Al Ittihad] was a project that was just starting to burst from everywhere so from my side I wanted to be part of the story. That's the reason why I came here.
"I'm really surprised and pleased about the level of the game here. Really surprised because in Europe we don't watch much football from here. Nowadays we are watching more and more because of the big names they signed."
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Despite now plying his trade outside of Europe, Benzema still has a slight chance of taking the Ballon d'Or crown in consecutive years.
