Lineker defends Benzema doubt

Gary Lineker has defended his stance on Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and hinted he still believes he is overrated.

The former England international and Barcelona striker, now a famed TV presenter in the UK, questioned Benzema’s importance to Madrid during the Champions League clash with Tottenham, and highlighted his goalscoring record.

“Benzema is a good player, that is obvious,” Lineker told El Transistor on Tuesday.

“I asked on social media what people thought of him, and whether or not he was quite as good as we believe, nothing more than that.

“I understand that he is not a natural goalscorer and there is more to him than that, his link-up with Ronaldo among other things.

“But Madrid fans became defensive and illustrated why Twitter can sometimes be a bit dangerous, even if it is entertaining.

“I’m not sure why Madrid are underperforming this season, especially after winning almost everything last season – it is difficult to understand, maybe it is because they are now older.

“Zidane’s future? He has won a lot and I like him, just as I do with (Spurs boss Mauricio) Pochettino, but he has not yet won anything.”

Tags Karim Benzema
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