According to a Saudi media, Karim Benzema would be in conflict with his coach at Al-Ittihad. Nuno Espirito Santo would not have validated the arrival of the Ballon d’Or 2022 and would have refused him the status of captain.
Karim Benzema was absent from Al-Ittihad training on Tuesday. Chance or coincidence? A major Saudi media, Asharq al-Awsat, announces an improbable showdown between the reigning Ballon d’Or and his new coach, Nuno Espirito Santo. The situation is said to be tense as the 35-year-old striker hasn’t scored in his first two league games (having struck 3 times in the Arab Champions Cup).
The Portuguese coach would not have appreciated the choice of the leaders to recruit “KB9”, while the Jeddah club won the Saudi Pro League thanks to 21 goals from Moroccan center forward Abderrazak Hamdallah, who is now the partner of Benzema’s attack. Nuno would have flatly refused to give the armband to the native of Lyon, who had been promised this status when he signed. Romarinho, the team’s star player since 2018, wears the armband.
This alleged clash could upset the reigning Saudi Arabian champion. Benzema believes he is being treated unprofessionally by the technician who worked for Wolverhampton and Tottenham and, if there is a choice to be made between these two people, it is obviously Nuno Espirito Santo who would take the door rather than the ex- French international. Benzema chose to leave Real Madrid for Saudi Arabia by offering himself a salary of 30 million euros per year.
