Ballon d’Or winner Benzema is ‘more of a leader’, says Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema feels like he has grown into a team leader.

The striker, who joined Real Madrid in 2009, has developed into the side’s figurehead since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018.

Benzema won his first Ballon d’Or trophy on Monday night, celebrating his performances as he fired Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double with 44 goals in 46 games.

“He’s a player who has a lot more responsibility, he feels much more of a leader,” Ancelotti told a press conference.

“His quality has not changed, it’s the same as it was eight years ago. But his responsibility to the team has changed, and his attitude. He’s much more of a leader.”

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