Why it took so long for Benzema to win Ballon d’Or – Former Chelsea manager

Former Chelsea and now Roma manager, Jose Mourinho has revealed why it took years before Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema was able to win the Ballon d’Or.

According to Mourinho, Benzema was unable to bag the prestigious award all these years, because he is “obsessed with his team”.

The Los Blancos captain was announced the winner of this year’s prize at 34 years after he led Real Madrid to LaLiga and the Champions League glory.

Mourinho managed Benzema during his three years at the Santiago Bernabeu when Cristiano Ronaldo was the team’s star player.

It was only after Ronaldo left that Benzema assumed the mantle of being Madrid’s leading light.

“Karim is a great character, great personality, and a team guy.

“He is not obsessed with himself, he is not obsessed with the Ballon d’Or, he is not a guy obsessed with scoring more goals than A, B or C.

“He is just a team guy who does a lot in a way that the Ballon d’Or becomes a natural consequence. I think he is a guy obsessed with his team,” Mourinho said in a recorded tribute.