Benzema lengthens Lyon contract

Olympique Lyonnais have awarded striker Karim Benzema a two-year contract extension that will keep the teenage French international at the club until June 2012.

Teenage talent
Lyon were keen to secure the services of the homegrown Benzema, who scored his seventh league goal for the six-time French champions in last Sunday's 2-0 season-opening victory against AJ Auxerre. He has made 41 Ligue 1 appearances over the last four campaigns. The 19-year-old – part of the France side that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship – also marked his senior international debut with the only goal against Austria in a March friendly, before appearing in Les Bleus' UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier against Georgia in June.