Carlo Ancelotti Praises "Good Friend" Karim Benzema After Both Receive UEFA Awards

Carlo Ancelotti described Karim Benzema as a "fantastic football player" and a "good friend" after they were both presented with UEFA awards on Thursday.

Benzema was named as the 2021/22 UEFA Men's Player of the Year, while Ancelotti received the UEFA Coach of the Year award.

Ancelotti led Benzema and his Real Madrid teammates to Champions League glory last season.

But speaking after the draw for this season's group stage, Ancelotti suggested that Benzema's leadership had been just as important as his.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti (right) and Karim Benzema pictured together after winning the 2022 Champions League final

IMAGO/Gribaudi/ImagePhoto

Speaking in English to BT Sport, Real boss Ancelotti said of Benzema, who scored 15 Champions League goals last season: "I think everyone in the world was impressed with the performances of Karim.

"Karim is not only a striker, not only a top scorer, he is a fantastic football player.

"He plays football really, really well. He supports this with a great attitude day by day.

"This year I think he improved his knowledge. He knows really well the game, how to manage the game, the time of the game.

"He is a strong leader in the dressing room. He is a good friend of mine and this is important. This is not the reason that he is going to play. He is going to play because he is the best.

"That's it. We are lucky to have Karim Benzema. Everyone at Real Madrid thinks that we are lucky to have Karim.

"Football is lucky to see Karim play."

Benzema and Ancelotti were presented with their awards at Thursday's draw ceremony in Istanbul, shortly before Real were placed in Group F along with Celtic, Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig.

This season's Champions League group stage will begin on September 6 and end on November 2, with the six rounds of fixtures spread across just eight weeks.