Karembeu reunited with glittering prize

A two-time winner of Europe's premier club prize with Real Madrid CF, former France midfielder Christian Karembeu is well placed to give his opinion on the competition in his role as ambassador for the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour. Karembeu spoke to uefa.com about his days at the top of European football, this season's tournament, and life after playing when the Trophy Tour, presented by UniCredit, arrived in Budapest earlier this month.

uefa.com: Would you agree that Madrid's summer spending makes them favourites for this year's trophy?

Christian Karembeu: I think that when we talk about football, we talk about the value of football. We talk about money. We talk about commercial things, and we forget that, basically, football is a game. Sometimes a small team can beat a great team or a big team. So football offers hope that, whoever you are, you can win something.

uefa.com: What is the key to forging a team out of all the talent at Madrid?

Karembeu: The coach is key because he needs to put eleven, maybe even 22 players together, manage them, fit them together, and get them all giving their best for the team. It is not easy for coaches, but I think all players are intelligent enough to leave their egos to one side. We all love football, we grew up with the ball and I think we should not forget that.

uefa.com: Karim Benzema is the latest Frenchman to play for Madrid. Have you followed his first games for the club?

Karembeu: Yes, of course, because all the journalists called me about him before he signed. I had a meeting with [Madrid president] Florentino Pérez, who asked me about the best [French] players. I talked about Benzema, Franck Ribéry and Yoann Gourcuff. It is not easy for Benzema – he is very young and has just arrived from Lyon. But he is doing his job, scoring goals.

uefa.com: How did it feel to win the UEFA Champions League with Madrid for the first time in 1998?

Karembeu: I always knew I could win the trophy with Madrid. I went there and suddenly started to score goals and fit into the team. My team-mates were very confident and went on to the pitch thinking: 'Yes, we are going to win, it's going to be another victory.' We brought the trophy back to Madrid after 32 years – the first major trophy of my career.

uefa.com: Did the pressure and expectation at Madrid set them apart from other clubs?

Karembeu: They had lifted the European Cup five years in a row [from 1956 to 1960] but wanted it back. That's why, when I went there, it was meant to be. It was written that we needed that win. Winning trophies is the culture there, and I just lived with that philosophy. When you are in Madrid there is no pressure. You are at Real Madrid to win trophies, and that's all that matters.

uefa.com: You are one of few players to have won the UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship. Which of those achievements stands out for you?

Karembeu: I don't talk about myself, I talk about the team. It is a collective victory, never your own. Why do I say that? Because I think we are role models for children. They need to know it is a team game. Where there is a team, you have to share, to encourage, to be together, to be one in victory and defeat. You have to respect one other, the rules and the game. I just lived, not like a footballer, but like a human being, with a professional career, but still as a human being like anybody else.

uefa.com: Is it true you have started working with Arsène Wenger?

Karembeu: No. It makes me laugh, because everybody thinks that, but it is not true. We are very good friends. When Arsène wants to know about a player, he calls me. I go to Arsenal to see some games, to have a chat with Arsène, that's it. Also, I am a TV consultant, so it is natural for me to go there.

uefa.com: What did you think of the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour?

Karembeu: There's a tremendous atmosphere around the event because we come like children to see the trophy. For us players, it's a dream to win the trophy and get to touch it. But with the tour, they just come to take pictures, to touch the cup, and it's great to see they are happy at the end. We need to thank UEFA for bringing the trophy to the people.