Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema Wins Ballon d’Or for First and Best Year in Club’s History
Karim Benzema, who helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga in 2011, has been voted the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or by journalists, football writers and public figures.
With the announcement that he is now the fourth highest vote-getter in the history of the award, Benzema’s chances of becoming the first player in La Liga and Champions League history to win the award twice are already very slim.
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The Ballon d’Or was awarded last month by the French public television channel, Canal+.
The award, which was presented to Benzema by his friend and Real Madrid coach José Mourinho at the Champions League final in Kiev, was officially launched on Monday at the exclusive Espace de Sports in Paris.
“From now on, I will never stop trying to win a Ballon d’Or, that’s what I need to do to make people proud of me,” Benzema said to the press.
“Everyone knows the Ballon d’Or is a very important trophy in football. I was surprised, not because I thought I would be the first player to win this prize twice, but because I do not want to ever stop trying.
“I will always try to win the Ballon d’Or. There is no secret to be able to do so. I don’t have to come up with an idea, I just need to be persistent. If I have a goal, that’s enough.
“It’s normal for an athlete to be tired after a great performance,” he added. “But I don’t care about winning everything for me. I only care if all the people in the world consider me a great player. That is enough for me.
“The Ballon d’Or was made for those who are professional players in
