Football NewsFlorentino completes his work
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For better or for worse, no one believed in Benzema more than Florentino . The story of his signing for Madrid is a bizarre story without comparison. A personal bet of the president that he himself was in charge of taking to the extreme: to the living room of his house in Lyon. And time has proved him right: that 21-year-old striker, the antonym of docile and little contrasted internationally, today will raise a Ballon d’Or to the sky of Paris. It is the icing on the cake of an individual career that, in the summer of 2009, went through a shared episode. Benzema would never have been a Real Madrid footballer if it weren’t for Florentino Pérez’s insistence. Blessed, they will think now… both. Everything happened a few months after the businessman returned to the presidency of the white club. His roadmap was to sign a new Galácticos team and among them, some like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká or Xabi Alonso were chosen. Also Benzema , who was then one of the diamonds in the rough of French football, but had never played outside of Ligue 1. With only one more season left on his contract with Lyon, the French began to cook up a renewal proposal -quite succulent- . Karim also had offers from other clubs, but a different leaf appeared in the margarita .

A president comes to see me

Florentino personally went to the player’s house to talk to him. “I was out there with my friends, calm. And suddenly they called me, my family and agent, to tell me that I had to go home quickly , that we had to talk. Honestly, I told them to leave me, that I didn’t have time. But they answered ‘you have to come, Florentino is here ‘, acknowledged the footballer himself in an interview with #Vamos . To continue: “ What did I do? Was I clear. While he was thinking ‘this man has brought Zizou , Ronaldo, the Galacticos…’. Suddenly I opened the door and saw him, there he was. I didn’t say anything, just ‘hi ‘.

and gave him his word

After breaking the ice, the crux of the matter arrived. Florentino asked a brief question: “Do you want to play for Real Madrid?” To which Benzema replied: “Yes”. That gave way to both reaching a verbal agreement , as the striker later said: “I give you my word. I’m going to sign for Real Madrid . ” Florentino did not need more, who reached an agreement with Lyon for the transfer of him in exchange for 35 million (which could rise to 41 in terms of variables). On the last day of June, in an interview with Cadena SER , he said: “The next signing will be tomorrow or the day after.” It did not fail. Barely 24 hours later, Benzema was already from Madrid .