Karim Benzema decided to follow the path laid out by Cristiano Ronaldo signing with Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. The French striker left Real Madrid to receive a big contract valid until 2026 that, according to several reports, could surpass $100 million per season.
However, the first months for Benzema have been very disappointing. Despite scoring 9 goals, his team is already out of the title race in the Saudi Pro League. They’re 25 points behind leaders, Al Hilal, with a full semester left.
As if this were not enough, Al Ittihad suffered another setback a few weeks ago when they were eliminated in the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup by Al Ahly. Even with the arrival of a renowned coach like Marcelo Gallardo, things simply are not working out.
Now, in a new scandal, Karim Benzema has been excluded from his team’s preseason during the winter break. As a result, rumors have erupted about his future.
Will Karim Benzema leave Al Ittihad?
Marcelo Gallardo excluded Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad’s preseason for being absent in many training sessions. After the winter break, a short period of preparation starts for the club on Monday in the United Arab Emirates. However, the French striker wasn’t called at Dubai.
Due to those repeated absences, Benzema has been officially removed from the squad list. So far, Karim has missed six consecutive practices with Al Ittihad and Gallardo just had enough of it.
According to various reports, Karim Benzema is not comfortable in Saudi Arabia and the relationship with his teammates is not the best. After being the star of Real Madrid, the forward found himself in a completely different scenario.
Economically, it’s a success. However, in terms of sports and quality of life, it’s a disappointment for his track record. Now, by not reporting to the club’s facilities on January 12th, a new scandal has emerged.
Where is Karim Benzema?
Diario MARCA informed today that Karim Benzema is ‘trapped’ in Mauritius due to a cyclone and that is why he hasn’t been able to arrive in Saudi Arabia yet. Nevertheless, no one knows for sure if Marcelo Gallardo will change his mind with this version.