Benzema unfazed by Real Madrid jeers

Karim Benzema says he is not fazed by the whistles and jeers that have been aimed in his direction by the Real Madrid crowd recently.

Sections of the home support at the Santiago Bernabeu have expressed their dissatisfaction after successive defeats in La Liga, with Benzema an captain Iker Casillas coming in for particular treatment.

After scoring in their opening league match against Cordoba the France international had gone two games without finidng the back of the net and was jeered during their 5-1 win over Basel in the UEFA Champions League.

Benzema, who went on to score the final goal in that win, says he can handle the pressure of playing for the club and insists the reactions of the fans will not affect his performances.

“I’m at a big club and a lot is expected of me,” he is quoted as saying by AS. “I’m a Real Madrid striker and that means I must score in every game. That’s how it is.

“I was jeered last season and it has happened to Iker Casillas. All the greats who have played for Real Madrid have been jeered; [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Zinedine] Zidane.

“It’s not a problem for me and I’ll continue to work hard to change the situation around.

“I play for a massive club and know the expectations are high, but I don’t let it get to me. I just concentrate on playing.”

Benzema scored 24 goals in all competitions for Madrid last season, with only Cristiano Ronaldo bettering his tally with 51.