SAUDI ARABIA
Karim Benzema continues to struggle at Al-Ittihad
Benzema’s spell in Saudi Arabia has not gone to plan for the forward.
On 23 January, Karim Benzema asked to leave Al-Ittihad, claiming that he could not cope with the pressure and that he felt unable to perform at his best. Before that, the former Real Madrid player asked the Saudi club to put together a competitive squad that could compete. Everything looked like a bed of roses when Benzema arrived in Saudi Arabia. He was signing for the reigning champions, with reputable team-mates, but the results have not gone to plan.
Benzema calling the shots
Faced with several issues at Al-Ittihad, the French star was gradually imposing orders on the club’s management. The first was to sack Nuno Espírito Santo. Everyone believed that the success of the Jeddah club would be based on Karim’s words. And then Marcelo Gallardo arrived, but the results still haven’t come.
Benzema is currently sidelined and has no possibility of leaving (which is what he asked for), and with no new signings, the club are in the same situation that they found themselves in a month ago.
Lyon in talks for Benzema
Lyon owner John Textor revealed that he spoke to Al-Ittihad officials about Benzema. “It was not a distraction for the football department,” he said. “But if we are not attentive to these special situations, where stars can align and where you can have unexpected talent, it is because I am not doing my job. I have a special relationship with certain countries and with the Gulf states.”
He concluded: “I established relations with the Saudis before coming to Lyon. I knew they had a problem with the player... I didn’t know the reasons. We had talks with the club where Karim plays. Nothing happened. He observes a lot of what is happening here. If there are unique circumstances to convince the player and make the impossible possible, I will try from time to time.”