“I signed here with a lot of ambition and want to bring my experience”

Frenchman Karim Benzema confirmed this Thursday during his presentation as a new player of the Al Ittihad club that he has signed with this Saudi league team with “great ambition” and hopes to “win a lot of titles” after winning “a lot of things in Europe” . .

“I won a lot of things in Europe. I signed here with a lot of ambition and I want to bring my experience, hoping to win a lot of titles and play to take the club to the next level, even if it is already very high,” the player said in French during his presentation to the media.

Benzema’s signing was announced this week after 14 years at Real Madrid, where he has enjoyed a host of successes.

“BENZEMA IS HERE”

Thousands of people have gathered at Al Jawhara Stadium in the coastal city of Jeddah to welcome the Frenchman of Algerian descent in the black and yellow striped kit.

The Frenchman took the field at 21:55 Saudi time (18:55 GMT) and was greeted by children on a catwalk who led him into the center of the stadium wearing the number 9 shirt.

“Benzema is here, Benzema is a tiger and Benzema is from Ittihad”, were the slogans that appeared at the presentation, full of light, fire and fireworks in front of some 60,000 spectators.

“Salam Aleykum (peace be upon you),” Benzema said during the stadium presentation, mixing some foreign words in Arabic with his answers, which he gave in English.

Al Ittihad is “a good team, they want the championship. God willing, we are going to take the team to the highest level, God willing,” he said, microphone in hand, before opening a black box containing a golden ball.

Benzema signed balls and handed them out through the stadium’s stands, as well as the occasional shirt to the kids in attendance as he circled the entire pitch.

He also held some fans’ phones and filmed himself with the stands and cheering in the background.