Benzema, Varane and James Rodriguez Return to Real Madrid Training
Karim Benzema and Raphaël Varane have officially returned to training with Real Madrid following an extended post-World Cup break. The two French internationals rejoined the squad on Friday at the club’s training base, Real Madrid City.
Joining them was James Rodriguez, the Colombian star who recently completed a high-profile move from AS Monaco to the Spanish giants for a reported fee in excess of €80 million.
All three players featured prominently in this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Benzema and Varane helped France reach the quarter-finals, while Rodriguez emerged as one of the tournament’s standout performers, finishing as top scorer with six goals and guiding Colombia to a historic quarter-final appearance.
Their return marks the beginning of a new chapter ahead of the 2014–2015 campaign, as Real Madrid prepare to build on last season’s Champions League triumph under manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The reintegration of the trio will boost squad depth and quality, with Rodriguez expected to add creative spark alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, while Benzema and Varane remain key components in attack and defence respectively.
