The open letter from Jean-Michel Aulas to Karim Benzema

The president of OL, Jean Michel Aulas, has utterly uncovered himself by way of brand, in a letter despatched to his former protege Karim Benzema (34), topped Ballon d’Or for the primary time in his profession on Monday October 17 on the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The one known as “KB9” or “Nueve” began in Lyon, his coaching membership the place he performed a complete of 148 matches for 66 objectives scored and 27 assists in 2005 and 2009 earlier than flying to his dream of Actual Madrid. When Karim Benzema obtained his first choice for the France group in March 2007 on the age of 19, it was additionally within the jersey of Olympique Lyonnais. At the moment, Actual Madrid’s quantity 9 has 97 caps for 37 objectives.

“Pricey Karim,

We’re all very happy with you, of your journey from the OL academy to Actual Madrid, together with the France group. This magnificent Ballon d’Or is a brand new stage in your life, the consecration of all of your work, of all of your sacrifices, and likewise the beginning of one thing the place nothing would be the similar. You’re a soccer legend, you’re a position mannequin for different generations. Robust all through your historical past, with a deep bond of friendship between Algeria and France, being exemplary and with many classes realized. We now have all the time believed in you, we’ve all the time accompanied you with our ideas, as a result of we knew that today would come, that you’d be Ballon d’Or. Now I prefer to assume that in the future you’ll have to write a letter to a Ballon d’Or. A younger man that you’ll have adopted, impressed, or who is aware of, skilled in an academy like that of Olympique Lyonnais. He might already be there, he might have seen you obtain this award earlier than and deep down he is aware of he desires to be such as you. This Ballon d’Or is that of the individuals, however it is usually that of all those that have the means to understand their dream and who generally solely want inspiration to realize confidence and obtain them. »