ADVERTISEMENT

Manuel Pellegrini hails Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema as the “complete player”

Former coach of Real Madrid, Manuel Pellegrini was full of praise for the French international winning the Ballon d'Or.

Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini has publicly acclaimed Karim Benzema deserved to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award for the contribution he made last season by helping Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League success.

In what became his best-ever single-season haul, the Frenchman scored a whooping 44 goals in 46 club appearances, and further assisted 15 goals.

When speaking to Marca, said “It is undeniable that Karim Benzema deserves the award. He is a complete player, not only a scorer, but he is a creator as well.”

Pellegrini was Real Madrid’s manager in 2009/10, the season Benzema first joined the club.

“I was lucky to arrive at Real Madrid in the same year as he did. Staying at Real Madrid for 10 years as a key player is not easy,” he added.

The Frenchman has helped Real Madrid win four La Liga titles and two Copa del Reys. He has also helped his club win the Champions League five times, scoring 328 goals in 615 appearances.

Share this post:

ADVERTISEMENT

× How can I help you?