Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema has expressed his desire to return to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium after he hangs up his boots.
Benzema, who won 25 trophies during his trophy-laden 14-season stint in the Spanish capital, currently plies his trade at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. The Frenchman signed a three-year contract with Al-Ittihad after leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2023, meaning he still has over a year left on his contract.
Karim Benzema Wants to Work with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez
After an injury-hit debut season for Al-Ittihad, Benzema has found his groove. Since the start of the 2024-25 season, the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner has scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 20 Saudi Pro League matches. Although he is still firing on all cylinders, the 37-year-old has naturally given his retirement plans a thought.
Discussing them with Spanish soccer reporter Edu Aguirre on the Los Amigos de Edu program, Benzema said (via Forbes):
“When I retire I want to be close to football.
“I don’t know, this is something that seems more complicated to me than being a player.”
The former Olympique Lyon centre-forward also opened up about his relationship with Real Madrid president Perez, expressing his desire to work with him.
He added:
“What I want is to be close to [Real Madrid President] Florentino [Perez] when I retire. I was recently with him in Madrid.”
Benzema revealed Perez was the first person he notified after he decided to leave Real Madrid.
The former France international added:
“Florentino was the first person I called when I decided I was leaving. The truth is that I didn’t quite understand him, but I told him that youngsters like Vinicius and Rodrygo were already ready.”
Legendary players like Zinedine Zidane, Fernando Hierro, Raul, and Xabi Alonso all returned to Real Madrid after retiring to stay close to football. Zidane even got the opportunity to win major trophies as Madrid’s manager, whereas Raul and Xabi Alonso are reportedly in the running to replace Carlo Ancelotti at the helm in the future.
It will be interesting to see if Benzema follows in their footsteps and starts his coaching career with one of Real Madrid’s youth teams.
