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What's the story?
Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has hailed former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, stating that the Juventus star is a great player, who ultimately left.
In case you didn't know...
Ronaldo shocked the world when he announced his departure from Real Madrid after enjoying a fruitful nine-year tenure with the Spanish giants. Ronaldo netted 450 goals to become the greatest goalscorer of Los Blancos, and won three consecutive Champions League, among other notable accolades.
The five time Ballon d'Or winner has taken Italian top flight by storm since his move to Turin. Ronaldo has racked up 28 goals in all competitions in his debut season at Turin - with 21 of them coming in the Serie A. Thanks to his exploits, the Bianconeri won their eighth consecutive league title.
Meanwhile, despite Ronaldo's best efforts in the Champions League, Juventus' quest for European glory remains elusive. The 34-year-old scored all of Juventus' goals in the knockout stages of the competition, yet they were knocked out by Ajax in the quarter-finals.
On the other hand, Real Madrid are enduring an abysmal campaign since the departure of their record goalscorer. The Los Blancos hierarchy sacked two coaches in the current campaign and they will end their season without any major silverware. Despite their failures, Karim Benzema has played a pivotal role this season, as the French forward has racked up 30 goals in all competitions.
The heart of the matter
The Frenchman praised his former teammate and claimed that his relationship with coach Zinedine Zidane is special.
When asked about Ronaldo in an interview, Benzema said:
"He's a great player who left."
"Am I the leader now? Maybe. But teamwork is the most important thing."
Benzema heaped praise on Zidane, who returned nine months after his departure.
"My relationship with him is special. I'm happy with what he says about me and our relationship began a long time ago."
"It's more than just.a friendship, he's part of my family but it doesn't mean he doesn't criticise me. He's like an older brother and has helped me a lot."
What's next?
Real Madrid will next face Real Betis in the La Liga on Sunday.
