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February 22, 2024
Karim Benzema’s stint at Al-Ittihad took another unfortunate turn, even as the team advanced to the next round of the AFC Champions League. The former Ballon d’Or winner, who joined the Saudi Pro League champions after a 14-year career at Real Madrid, has seen his high-profile move become a struggle.
Wednesday night’s match against Uzbek side Navbahor only added to his woes. Despite the team’s victory, Benzema was ridiculed by fans after he inadvertently scored an own goal in the 25th minute, giving Navbahor an unexpected lead. Although he redeemed himself with a late winner in the 87th minute, the own Goal marked yet another low point in a challenging season for the striker.
At GIVEMESPORT, we will explore Benzema’s challenges and speculate on what the future may hold for him.
This season, the reigning champions are currently in fifth place.
After narrowly edging out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr for the domestic title last season, Al-Ittihad was considered one of the favorites to defend their crown, especially following impressive summer signings. Among the high-profile additions were Liverpool’s defensive midfielder Fabinho and Celtic’s forward Jota. However, the latter played only five league matches before being dropped from the squad entirely—perhaps a sign of the turmoil that awaited Benzema.
The French star joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer alongside fellow World Cup winner N’Golo Kanté. After proving his worth away from Ronaldo’s shadow, Benzema made the lucrative move, reportedly earning an astonishing £86 million annually.
However, Al-Ittihad has struggled throughout the 2023/24 season despite these strong reinforcements. Former Tottenham manager Nuno Espírito Santo was dismissed in November due to the team’s poor performance. They currently sit fifth in the league, 22 points behind rivals Al-Hilal. They’ve already suffered six league defeats this season, contrasting to just two the previous year.
Something is amiss at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium. But the question remains: does this reflect on Benzema’s individual contributions?
22 games, 18 goal contributions.
Despite his team’s decline in performance, Benzema’s individual statistics appear respectable at first glance. The 36-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided six assists in just 22 appearances, resulting in a goal contribution every 1.2 games. In the league, he ranks eighth on the scoring charts with nine goals, tied with former Barcelona player Malcolm and five goals behind the lesser-known ex-Tottenham winger Georges-Kevin N’Koudou.
In stark contrast, former teammate Ronaldo leads the league with 21 goals, 12 more than Benzema. While one might argue that Benzema has underperformed in a league many expected him to dominate, he has still outscored players like Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mané.
However, his goal tally has not frustrated fans the most; instead, another aspect of his game has drawn criticism and mockery from supporters.
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Minutes | 1846 |
| Own Goals | 2 |
The striker’s work rate must be up to the supporters’ standards.
Despite the initial enthusiasm surrounding Benzema’s arrival, fans have turned against him, giving him a harsh new nickname. Al-Ittihad supporters have started referring to the five-time Champions League winner as ‘Ben-Hazima,’ a term reported by l’Equipe in 2023 that translates to ‘son of defeat.’ This clearly reflects their disappointment in his performances.
While his personal record may appear impressive, Goal reported earlier this season that Al-Ittihad fans perceive Benzema as lazy and unwilling to contribute to the team’s efforts. This selfish attitude has not only led to boos from the crowd but also triggered online abuse, prompting him to delete his Instagram account.
If it’s true that the number nine isn’t connecting with supporters, he’s not alone in his discontent; it seems the striker has struggled with being directed since his arrival in Saudi Arabia.
Throughout his brief tenure, the striker has received criticism from two coaches.
It has been widely reported that Benzema has confronted former coach Espirito Santo and current manager Marcelo Gallardo. The striker allegedly informed Al-Ittihad executives that Santo was impeding the club’s progress and wasn’t the right fit for the role. Following a lackluster performance in the AFC Champions League, Santo publicly criticized Benzema, acknowledging him as a great player but claiming he was too lazy to pressure the opposing defense. Santo was sacked shortly after that.
Under Gallardo, the situation has yet to improve. After returning late from his mid-season break, Benzema left training in a huff when instructed to train away from his teammates. He explained to the club that bad weather had delayed his return to Jeddah. Although he was seen at the club’s facilities the day after his exit, he was training with injured players instead of the rest of the team. Consequently, he was dropped for the next match, even though Al-Ittihad lacked enough players to fill the substitute bench.
The Frenchman has been connected to a possible departure in January.
Despite his ongoing challenges and persistent rumors about a possible return to Europe, Benzema is poised to spend another year in Saudi Arabia. Reports indicate that neither Al-Ittihad nor the higher-ups in the Saudi Pro League want him to leave and are keen for him to complete a second year in the region. Additionally, Benzema has not formally requested a transfer, with discussions planned to find a suitable solution.
Suppose these talks result in Benzema staying for one more year. In that case, he will likely be eager to turn his fortunes around and help Al-Ittihad reclaim their status at the top of Saudi Arabian football.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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