"I feel the same sense of nostalgia" - Luka Modric compares Karim Benzema's Real Madrid departure to that of Cristiano Ronaldo

Luka Modric compared Karim Benzema's Real Madrid departure to that of Cristiano Ronaldo in a recent interview.

Benzema ended his tenure as a Los Blancos player when he joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad earlier this summer. The Frenchman had been a key player for the Madrid giants since 2009.

Hence, him leaving was an emotional affair for many, including Modric, who had been teammates with Benzema since 2012. Speaking about Benzema's departure, Modric said that he felt the same sense of nostalgia when the likes of Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and Marcelo left the club. The Croat said in a recent interview (quotes as per Madrid Xtra):

"Karim Benzema? Of course I miss him, we were together for 11 years. I feel the same sense of nostalgia as with every departure of my friends, such as Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Cristiano Ronaldo. These are special relationships, connected for the rest of our lives."

Modric shared the pitch with Benzema 404 times and combined in 27 goals during their time together in the Spanish capital. On the other hand, he played 222 games together with Ronaldo as teammates and jointly took part in 16 goals.

Modric also shared the pitch 282 times with Ramos and 252 times with Marcelo during his time as a Real Madrid player so far. The Croat is still going strong at the age of 37, with his contract set to expire next summer.

Here's how Cristiano Ronaldo reacted when former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema joined Al-Ittihad

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the door for superstars across the globe to join the Saudi Pro League when he joined Al-Nassr as a free agent on December 31, 2022.

Since then, Karim Benzema has also completed a move to the league and has joined the reigning SPL champions, Al-Ittihad. Speaking about Benzema's arrival, Ronaldo previously said (quotes as per Cristiano Xtra):

“I knew that Benzema is coming to Saudi and that's why I said that the Saudi league will be among the Top 5 in the future, more players will come. In the future I would like to own a club, I don't rule it out.”

Ronaldo and Benzema were partners in Real Madrid's attack for 342 matches and combined in 76 goals. However, they are direct rivals in the Saudi Pro League at the moment.