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Journalist
After trying different sports, Thibault turned to a career as an amateur footballer. When making a choice between becoming a professional footballer and a journalist, the qualities tipped the scales to one side. Here he is now in the editorial staff of 10 Sport, after a diploma obtained at the International Institute of Communication in Paris.
In 2009, Karim Benzema left OL, his training club, to strike out on his own. The French international was then transferred to Real Madrid for an amount of around €35 million. The club then chaired by Jean-Michel Aulas could, however, have gained more by transferring him to Manchester United, but Lyon wanted to give Benzema this gift by letting him join Casa Blanca.
The beginnings were not easy, but over the years, Karim Benzema has become one of the legends of Real Madrid. From 2009 to 2023, the French international left his mark within the Merengue club, before heading to Saudi Arabia. The choice to join Casa Blanca will thus have been the right one for Benzemawho had decided to leave theOL for the Spanish capital while Manchester United extended his arms to him and also offered more to Jean-Michel Classes.
“We had this offer from Manchester United which was a little higher”
In an interview for Carré, Jean-Michel Classes returned to the €35M transfer of Karim Benzema au Real Madrid. A gift for KB9 as highlighted by the former president of theOL : « When Florentino Pérez arrives, who I knew well, in Lyon, there are two planes on the tarmack: one from Manchester United and one from Real Madrid. Karim told me: “President, I have always dreamed of the White House.” It turned out that we had this offer from Manchester United which was a little higher, but from the moment Karim told me that his preference was to go to Madrid… ».
“I absolutely wanted to play for Real”
Moreover, regarding his transfer for the Real Madrid, Karim Benzema recently confided for So Foot : « I absolutely wanted to play for Real because it’s classy. So. The best club in the world. As a kid, I watched Seedorf, Raúl… It’s the club with the most Champions Leagues. In Lyon, at a time when I was offered too many clubs, I wrote down on a sheet of paper those I wanted to go to. I put: Manchester United, Real Madrid. For me, it was one of the two. When Real said OK, I couldn’t say no, it was impossible. President Florentino Pérez always cared about me, he came to my house in Lyon, to my parents, he never let me go ».
