UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin hails 'miraculous' Real Madrid superstar as one of the most underrated footballers of all time
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has hailed Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as one of the most underrated footballers of all time in an interview ahead of the Champions League final on May 28.
Benzema has scored vital goals for Los Blancos in the Champions League this season. The Frenchman has scored 15 goals in 11 appearances for his side in the competition.
Liverpool, who have won the competition on six occasions, will battle Los Blancos for the seventh title in their history at the Stade de France later this month. Meanwhile, the Spanish giants will hope to secure their 14th Champions League title against the Merseyside outfit.
Ceferin told 24ur.com that Real Madrid's dramatic run to the final left him surprised like many around the world. The Spanish giants made memorable comebacks against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City in the Round of 16, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, respectively.
Speaking about Los Blancos' heroics in the competition, Ceferin said:
"In the semi-finals, I doubted that Real could eliminate Manchester City, especially after the defeat in the first game. But they obviously have nine lives as cats. They are an experienced team, in my opinion, their defense is lame."
On their way to the final, Carlo Ancelotti's side have conceded a total of 14 goals in the competition, of which 11 came in the knockout stages alone. However, the Reds have not been super-tight either, having let in 13 goals themselves.
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The Slovenian highlighted the performances of two Real Madrid veterans in Luka Modric and Karim Benzema. He said:
"They have the miraculous Karim Benzema, for whom I have said many times that in my opinion, he is one of the most underrated players in the history of football Luka Modrić. The older he is, the better he is."
When asked to pick between the two sides, Ceferin added:
"I would not dare to predict the winner, as a rule, I judge badly. It will be an incredibly interesting final."
The two sides previously met in the Champions League final in 2018, where the Spanish giants beat the Merseyside outfit 3-1.
UEFA president highlights Real Madrid's place in the final as proof of the fairness of the Champions League
Los Blancos, along with Barcelona and Juventus, have come under criticism for their repeated attempts to launch the European Super League. They were the only three founding members of the ESL who did not renounce their support for the tournament after plans collapsed in April last year.
🗣 "An arrogant and contemptuous plan devised by a handful of billionaires who cannot embrace the concept that, on the football pitch, as in life, you might lose to someone smaller than yourself."
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Ceferin has voiced his opposition to the Super League and spoken about his attempts to make the UEFA Champions League better in the coming years.
Speaking to 24ur.com, he highlighted how Real Madrid's qualification to the final is a testimony to how fair and just the Champions League is. The Slovenian said:
"I have no problems with Real, of course, I have no contact with the club's management at the moment. But Real's place in the Champions League final is proof of how clean Uefa's competition is. If they interfered with me, tried to help or deprive someone, Real in the final and certainly Barcelona would not be in the final of the Women's Champions League."
He also made his stance clear on resolving the situation concerning the Super League.
"I look at it professionally, I have good nerves. The time will come when these things will be clarified, but they will certainly not be on the field."