Benzema: I had to create space for Ronaldo when he was at Real Madrid, and now I'm taking on his responsibilities

Live Bar January 15, 2021 In the 2021 Best French Player Awards organized by French Football, Real Madrid striker Benzema was successfully elected. In an interview with "French Football", Benzema talked about his ideal No. 9 playing style and his role at Real Madrid after C Ronaldo left.

About my ideal No. 9 kick

I love passing, but I also know how to score goals. Under normal circumstances, you can't do both at the same time. The ideal No. 9 in my mind is the kind of player who knows how to do everything, who can either help the team with running positions, key passes and assists, or score goals.

If my son were to play in the same position as me in the future, I would want him to play in the same way as me. On the pitch, I try to make my teammates enjoy football. If I run to a position, but because the ball will pass to that position.

About Ronaldo's own style of play at Real Madrid and his own style of play after Ronaldo left

Adapting to Cristiano Ronaldo is a very simple thing. When Cristiano Ronaldo played for Real Madrid, he could score 50 to 60 goals per season. So, you have to adapt to this reality. I have to run to give him an edge on the pitch and create space for him because he can always have good touches in the opponent's penalty area. Inside the opponent's penalty area, he can play a role better than me. Just as he gave me an assist, I gave him an assist.

After Cristiano Ronaldo left, I took on the responsibility of scoring goals and providing assists to my teammates. I play differently with Ronaldo, and he plays differently than I do. I didn't go from deputy to leader, and I wasn't thinking about whether all the passes should be passed to him. He will also send passes, but he can score twice as many goals.

The way I play hasn't become more natural since he left. I don't want to say that, but now all the passes have to go through me, but I'm the player who connects and achieves the end, I create the chance and achieve the finish, that's what I'm doing at Real Madrid at the moment. When Cristiano Ronaldo was at Real Madrid, I was more responsible for tandems, while he was mainly responsible for scoring goals.

About the pairing with Mbappe and Griezmann in the French national team

Anyway, it's going very well right now. You don't train much in a week for the French national team and you have to get your fitness back, but they're all very good teams and know how to run. I haven't been in the national team for 6 years, so I have to adapt. Mbappe and I were taller, and Griezmann was mainly responsible for passing behind us. He had to pick up the ball and pass it to us.

On whether you can still improve

I don't think so, I just want to maintain the current level. Everyone says I can do more, but I don't think so. Technique, tactics, mentality, physical fitness... These need to be organically combined. Now, I have to try to get more championships.

(Two monsters)