"Benzema is a club legend; he has the right to choose his destiny"

Belgian Thibaut Courtois said that Real Madrid understand Frenchman Karim Benzema, who announced on Sunday that he is leaving the club after 14 seasons, because "he has the right to choose his destiny".

"It has been a pleasure for me to play with him. He's an excellent player, a legend, but obviously we understand him and he has the right to choose his destiny," he said on 'Movistar+' after Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Athletic at the Bernabeu.

On the other hand, Courtois referred to the great game he played in goal: "It's a pity we didn't keep a clean sheet. It was fun, but next season we'll be back to fight for La Liga and for everything".

Regarding the second place, the Belgian explained what the team lacked to fight for the title: "Sometimes we lacked the sharpness up front to score more goals, at the back we gave away some goals. That was the season. Next season will be better".