"My heart is broken", "I'm not ready" - Twitter explodes as Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid

Fans online have reacted to Real Madrid announcing club legend and veteran striker Karim Benzema's departure. His contract with the club expired this month and he will now leave the club as a free agent.

The French striker has been one of the most crucial players in the history of arguably the biggest club in world football. Benzema joined Los Blancos from Olympique Lyon for €35 million in a big transfer window for the Spanish giants in 2009. They also signed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka that summer.

Karim Benzema is Real Madrid's second all-time top scorer with 353 goals in 647 games, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 450. He also registered 165 assists in that time.

The news of his departure led to fans to express their surprise, gratitude and emotions on Twitter. One fan wrote:

"This hits the most after Ramos... my heart is broken"

Another tweeted:

"I can't believe this ! I'm not ready"

Here are some more reactions as Real Madrid announced Karim Benzema's departure:

Karim Benzema is the current holder of the Ballon d'Or award after he won it last year with exemplary performances for the Spanish giants. He scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists across competitions, including 15 goals in the UEFA Champions League. He helped Real Madrid win the La Liga title, Champions League trophy, and Supercopa de Espana.

The Frenchman's performances dipped this season, however, with injuries hampering his consistency. He scored 30 goals in 42 games across competitions.

He also retired from the French national team earlier this season.

---

Karim Benzema leaves a huge legacy behind at Real Madrid

The Frenchman joined Los Blancos as a 21-year-old and 14 years later now, he has decided to call it curtains on his playing career at the Santiago Bernabeu.

He was perhaps not the biggest superstar in his early days with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Iker Casillas around him. He was even infamously booed by the club's fans when his performances dipped in 2018. However, Karim Benzema stuck to his task, kept improving and has become one of the most beloved players in the history of the club.

Since Ronaldo's move to Juventus in 2018, the Frenchman took on the responsibility of being the focal point in attack. He scored 192 goals in 412 goals for Real Madrid before 2018 but that improved to 161 goals in just 235 games after that.

Benzema helped Los Blancos win 25 titles, including five UEFA Champions League trophies, four La Liga titles, and five Club World Cups, among others.

The Frenchman's next destination is currently unknown but he has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad.