Karim Benzema has said he gets an unfair amount of criticism from the fans and press when the team loses.
Los Blancos fell to a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao at the weekend, seven days after they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Villarreal. That slump in form has seen the 10-time Champions League winners lose their place at the top of the table to Barcelona.
And the Frenchman has come under fire from the media and Madridistas for not firing on all cylinders and not scoring enough in recent weeks.
Speaking to BeIN Sports, Benzema said he’s had to get used to the criticism as it always seems to come his way whenever Real lose.
“That’s what you sign up for when you come to Madrid and I’m not allowed fail during a match, not even with a pass,” he stated.
And he added: “At first it was hard but when you gain experience you start to get used to it. If affects my family more because they are my biggest supporters. They watch and read everything. I don’t need the Press to tell me if I’ve played well or not. There are people who are allowed to comment that don’t know anything about football because they’ve never played the game, but that’s the life of a footballer.”
He also invited anyone who thinks he is lazy to spend a week with him watching him train.
“You need to spend a week here to realise what I do. I’m the first to arrive and the last to leave. I also work at home with a machine that allows me to gain more muscle and more strength. It doesn’t mean I’m going to score more goals but it’s important for my physique. I don’t need to hear from elsewhere that I am a great player. I know what I’m worth and I work towards that,” he commented.
It hurts to hear the truth sometimes but that’s what should elevate you and make you stronger or better. For Karim B. the fact that someone has not played football at a high level means lack of knowledge in sports. How ridiculous and shameful those comments reveal his character.