REAL MADRID have to pay Lyon £870,000 following Karim Benzema’s Ballon d’Or triumph, according to reports.
The striker, 34, joined the Spanish giants way back in 2009 for a then French-record transfer fee of £30million.
The deal had add-ons within it which could enable the price to increase to as much as £35.2m.
And one of those was a clause which would see Lyon receive one million euros if he claimed the Ballon d’Or.
Well over a decade on, L’Equipe understand that clause has now been triggered after the Madrid man claimed the award ahead of Sadio Mane and Kevin de Bruyne.
Benzema has scored 329 goals in 616 appearances since joining Los Blancos.
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And he was instrumental in helping the club lift the LaLiga and Champions League trophies last season, netting a remarkable 44 times in 46 games.
Following Benzema’s Ballon d’Or win, Lyon’s president Jean-Michel Aulas hailed it as a special moment.
He said: “It’s a great source of pride and emotion, because Karim is a kid from OL.
“He is a child that we have seen grow up and that we have seen blossom.
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“We have seen him succeed in almost everything he has undertaken.
“And for us, who not only hired him, but also signed his first contracts with us, we are proud.
“It’s a source of pride with a message, that of exemplarity, because having a youngster like Karim who only plays for two clubs in his entire career.”
Before moving to Madrid 13 years ago, Benzema scored 66 times in 148 matches for Lyon, winning four successive league titles.
And the Ligue 1 side’s supporters have not forgotten what he achieved with the club as they celebrated in the streets following his Ballon d’Or win.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
