Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema sparked concern by leaving his current club, Al Ittihad, in Saudi Arabia, apparently without notice, but the club claims he had permission to miss training .
Following Al Ittihad’s 5-2 defeat to Al Nassr last week, Benzema deactivated his Instagram account due to the abuse he was receiving online. He was then absent from training for three days. The story took another surprising turn when it was discovered that Benzema had returned to Madrid during this period.
However, the 36-year-old reportedly had permission to do so. “ Benzema went to Madrid due to special circumstances, he asked for three days off, which the club ended up granting him,” a club director confirmed to Diario AS. There are rumors of Benzema’s possible departure. The French striker has not been satisfactory since his arrival in Saudi Arabia, but his future is still there. “Karim is a professional and he is attached to the team.”
Benzema signed a two-year contract with Al Ittihad in July, with an option to extend for a third year after his contract with Real Madrid expires. He is expected to earn €100m in those first two years, and the money will no doubt be an incentive to continue in Saudi Arabia. Benzema had said earlier in the season that he felt very good in Jeddah, but on the pitch, at least, it was a difficult season. Initially, Al Ittihad was expected to fight for the title, but they are currently 7th in the Saudi championship.
