(Reuters) - Karim Benzema's decision to leave Real Madrid after 14 trophy-laden years was a surprise, manager Carlo Ancelotti said, but insisted that the Ballon d'Or winner has earned the right to choose.
The 35-year-old striker will exit Real as a free agent in the close season, with the Frenchman linked with a big-money move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.
"Yesterday, he trained normally, and today he's taken this decision. We have accepted it. I spoke to him this morning, and he said he was leaving, and I understood. Benzema netted a penalty to secure a 1-1 draw against Bilbao on Sunday in his final LaLiga game at the Bernabeu, ensuring they finished second in the standings ahead of local rivals Atletico Madrid.
Benzema scored over 350 goals for Real to sit second on the club's all-time scoring list behind Ronaldo and finishes his career at the Spanish capital with a record 25 trophies with the club, including five European Cups, four LaLiga titles and three Copas del Rey's.
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