Back in the French team for Euro 2024, at 33, N’Golo Kanté plays not only in Saudi Arabia but also in an Al-Ittihad team which had a catastrophic season.
The failure is immense. Reigning Saudi Arabian champion last year, Al-Ittihad was reinforced by Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté, but also Fabinho. The Jeddah team was one of four clubs in the Saudi Pro League (with Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli) which moved to another dimension by being financially supported by the PIF, the Kingdom’s sovereign fund. However, Al-Ittihad finished 42 points behind the champion, Al-Hilal, in 5th place in the standings, without qualifying for the Asian Champions League or even for “Champions League Two”.
Al-Ittihad, without Benzema who missed the last seven matches for back pain, concluded its season with a 12th defeat in 34 days in the lair of Al-Nassr, Monday evening, against a Cristiano Ronaldo author with a double (4-2). To be definitively beaten by Al-Taawon, whose top scorer is Joao Pedro, a Brazilian who previously played in the United Arab Emirates. In this real slump, N’Golo Kanté survived…
N’Golo Kanté’s gesture for the supporters
By playing a series of matches, the former Chelsea player had the chance to be called up by Didier Deschamps for the French team for Euro 2024. Exemplary, the 33-year-old midfielder pushed his teammates to go apologize to the supporters after the final defeat against Al-Nassr. The latter cried foul throughout the season, with “KB9” in particular in the viewfinder. Nuno Espirito Santo received the 2022 Ballon d’Or poorly and was sidelined, making way for Marcelo Gallardo last November.
2018 world champion but absent from the Blues since June 2022, Kanté returns to Clairefontaine this Wednesday for the first day of preparation of the France team for the Euro. Two preparation matches are on the program, in one week against Luxembourg (June 5 in Metz), and the following Sunday against Canada (June 9 in Bordeaux). The tricolor staff will quickly be fixed on Kanté’s form. From there to starting him for a first match against Austria, at the European Nations Championship, on June 17?
