“Karim Benzema is the best of his generation by far, he’s very complete,” former France striker Jean-Pierre Papin told L’Equipe.
“I like his finishing, his way of participating in the actions of his team, in their creation. He is not only there to score goals, he is there to bring the offensive animation of his training to life.
“His longevity at Real Madrid is incredible. In such a club, where it is not easy to stay or settle down, he arrived, he imposed himself when he was in competition with very great players.”
Papin added how Benzema’s partnership with Ronaldo helped him: “He evolved his style by putting himself at the service of Cristiano Ronaldo.
“It may seem simple, but he had the merit of curbing his pure goalscoring ambitions to create harmony with such a star, over time.”
Benzema has scored 261 goals in 531 games for Real Madrid since 2009. 69 of them have come after Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Juventus.
As for Papin, he has scored more than 280 goals for both club and country between 1981 and 2006. His honours include the Champions League triumph with AC Milan and the Ballon d’Or for his achievements at Marseille.
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