“Thank you Jeddah. Tonight was a very special moment that I will never forget” – Karim Benzema after his Al Ittiad unveiling

Karim Benzema Unveiled as New Al Ittihad Player : Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema was finally unveiled on Thursday night as new Al Ittihad player. 

“Thank you Jeddah, from the bottom of my heart. Tonight was a very special moment that i will never forget” , the all time second top scorer of Real Madrid said.

Benzema was born in Lyon to French nationals of Algerian descent. His grandfather, Da Lakehal Benzema, lived in the village of Tigzirt, located in the northern town of Aït Djellil in Algeria before migrating to Lyon, where he eventually settled in the 1950s.

Benzema’s father, Hafid, was born in Tigzirt, while his mother, Wahida Djebbara, was born and raised in Lyon; her family originated from Oran. Benzema is the third youngest in the family and grew up with eight other siblings in Bron, an eastern suburb of Lyon.

His younger brothers Gressy and Sabri are also footballers.

The former plays at the amateur level with Vaulx-le-Velin in the Division d’Honneur, the sixth division of French football, while the latter plays in the youth academy of a club in the family’s hometown of Bron.