Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has credited Karim Benzema as one of the most influential players in his career, highlighting the role the French striker played in his development at the club, Idman.Biz reports.
Speaking to Spanish media, the Brazilian admitted he never had the chance to share the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo but still played alongside some of the game’s greats. “I didn’t get to play with Ronaldo, but I played with incredible footballers and I cannot complain. I played with Karim Benzema and Luka Modric. They are top-level players. Karim is my favourite. We understood each other perfectly. He was special - sometimes we didn’t even need to look at each other to know where we were. He taught me a lot and I will remember that for the rest of my life,” he said.
Vinicius also singled out the 2021/22 Champions League campaign, when the Spanish giants produced a series of dramatic comebacks. “That season was special. We felt we could win. When we took the match against Manchester City to extra time, we already knew we would win. After the first goal against Bayern, we didn’t even look at the scoreboard. The magic of the Santiago Bernabeu is something unique,” the winger added.
