Karim Mostafa Benzema

nickname

Coco, Karim, Benzegoal

Sun sign

Protect

Place of birth

Lyons, France

nationality

training

Benzema attended Olympique Lyonnais Academy . He was a good student and was described as discreet and respectful.

occupation

professional soccer player

family

• Father – Hafid Benzema
• Mutter – Wahida Djebbara
• Siblings – Sabri Benzema (Younger Brother) (Football Player), Gressy Benzema (Younger Brother) (Football Player), Celia Benzema (Older Sister), Nafissa Benzema (Older Sister), Sofia Benzema (Older Sister), Lydia Benzema (Older Sister), Farid Benzema (older brother), Laeticia Benzema (older sister) )
• Others – Da Lakehal Benzema (grandfather)

Manager

Karim is signed with BK 2 advice.

Position

striker

Shirt Number

9

To build

Athletic

Height

6 ft 0½ in oder 184 cm

weight

83.5 kg or 184 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Karim Benzema vom –

1. Zahia Dehar (2008) – The Algerian-French fashion designer and former prostitute met Karim in 2008. This was later revealed after a prostitution case was filed.
2. Manon Marsault (2010-2013) – From 2010 to 2013, Karim had dated Manon Marsault.
3. Jenifer Yael (2012) – In 2012, Karim had a brief romance with Jenifer Yael.
4. Rihanna (2015) – In 2015, Benzema had an affair with famous singer Rihanna.
5. Analica Chaves (2015) – Karim dated Analica Chavez for a few months in 2015.
6. Chloé de Launay – Benzema had a relationship with nurse Chloe de Launay in the past. The couple have one daughter, Melia (born February 3, 2014).
7. Cora Gauthier (2016-Present) – Karim then started dating a model Cora Gauthier after meeting her during the spring of 2016 in Madrid, Spain. They secretly married. He became a father for the second time when he welcomed his son named Ibrahim on May 5, 2017.

race/ethnicity

near East

Karim is of Algerian descent.

hair colour

Schwarz

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

• Athletic build
• Short hairstyle

measurements

Karim’s body specifications can be:

• Chest – 107 cm or 42 inches
• Arms / biceps – 39 cm
• Waist – 85 cm (33½ inches)

brand promotion

Benzema has appeared in numerous TV commercials for Adidas .

Religion

Islam

Known for

To be a very strong and experienced striker.

First soccer game

On January 15, 2005, Benzema made his professional debut in a match between Olympique Lyon and Metz.

Karim played for Lyon and made his UEFA Champions League debut on 6 December 2005 in a game against Rosenborg.

He made his Real Madrid debut on July 20, 2009 in a friendly against Shamrock Rovers.

On August 29, 2009 Benzema had played his first official game in the Primera Division against Deportivo La Coruna.

Karim made his senior debut for France on March 28, 2007 against Austria.

Strengthen

• headshots
• pass
• Complete
• cuts
• counterattack threat

weaknesses

• dragging
• Weak coordination under pressure
• Poor ball handling skills
• tackle
• Rarely can create a situation

first movie

Benzema has yet to take part in a feature film but did appear in a short documentary Euro 2012: The Result as himself in 2012.

First TV show

In 2008, Karim appeared in the TV series documentary Le Grand Journal de Canal as Himself .

Personal trainer

Karim is very passionate when it comes to exercise. He is one of those players who likes to go to the gym and work on his body, although typical bodybuilding programs do not improve the footballer’s performance. Benzema is aware of this fact and that’s why he doesn’t lift heavy (90-100% lifts). In his opinion, everyone should focus on looking good, whether they are professional sports stars or just a regular person.

Below we present an excerpt from Karim’s training schedule. He does 4 workouts, alternating his exercises between upper and lower body.

Monday / Thursday – lower body

1. Explosive Squat mit 60% 1RM – 3 × 10
2. Knee curl – 3 × 10
3. Calf raises – 3 × 15-20
4. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift – 3 × 8 (each leg)
5. Jump squat with 30% 1RM – 3 × 8

Tuesday / Friday – upper body

1. Dumbbell bench press – 3 × 8-10
2. Dumbbell row – 3 × 8-10 (per arm)
3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 3 × 8-10
4. Dumbbell Biceps Curl – 3 × 8-10
5. Dumbbell Triceps Extension – 3 × 8-10
6. Weighted push-up – 3 × 10-12 in super set with dips – 3 × 10-12

Wednesday / Saturday / Sunday – DAY OFF

**NOTE: After 2 or 3 weeks, make sure to change the exercises so the body doesn’t get used to them. Otherwise, this would stunt your muscle growth and there would be little or no results.

When it comes to nutrition, since former legendary soccer player Zinedine Zidane joined Real Madrid in 2013 as an assistant. Benzema’s awareness of the importance of quality nutrition rose to a new level.

By the time the popular Zizou was there, Benzema suggested attending a high-performance clinic in Merano, which Karim accepted. The clinic was a success for the France international, who has lost a total of 8 kilograms and gained lean quality muscle mass.

Karim Benzema favorite things

• Actor – Denzel Washington
• Movies – Gangster Movies
• Holiday Destination – Ibiza (Balearic Island in the Mediterranean Sea)

Karim Benzema facts

1. Karim’s grandfather Da Lakehal Benzema lived in a village called Tigzirt in Algeria. He moved to Lyon in the 1950s.
2. He grew up in Bron, an eastern suburb of Lyon.
3. Karim is the third youngest in his family of 9 children.
4. Benzema’s mother’s family came from Oran, a city in northwestern Algeria.
5. On November 4, 2015, Benzema was arrested on possible blackmail charges against fellow Frenchman Mathieu Valbuena.
6. He started his football career at the age of eight at a club called Bron Terraillon SC.
7. Karim caught the attention of Lyon when he scored twice in a U-10 league game against Lyon youth academy.
8. In the 1990s, the Terraillon president was approached by Lyonnais who wanted to sign Karim. Eventually he declined her offer.
9. He was a ballboy during Lyon senior team matches.
10. In the 2007/08 season he was the leading striker for Lyon.
11. On July 1, 2009, Lyon and Spanish club RealMadrid agreed on the terms of Karim’s transfer. The total fee was 41 million euros. After just 8 days, on July 9, Benzema passed medical tests and signed a six-year deal with the Spanish club.
12. On November 9, 2006, Karim was called up to the senior France team for a friendly against Greece.
13. In November 2008, William Gallas accused Benzema and other young players of being rude during UEFA Euro 2008.
14. Karim was not selected by the France national team for Euro 2016.
15. On April 18, 2010, Karim and three other French national team members, including Sidney Govou, Hatem Ben Afra and Franck Ribery, were accused of being part of a prostitute affair with an underage or transgender woman. Benzema has been implicated as one of the suspects in a sexual affair with a 16-year-old girl named Zahia Dehar. Later, his and Ribery’s attorneys asked that their cases be dropped because they were unaware of Zahia’s age. Eventually the case went to court and the first hearing took place in June 2013.
16. Follow Benzema on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.