“Went there for money”, “That didn’t take long” - Fans react as Karim Benzema is left out of Al-Ittihad’s Dubai training camp
Football fans online have criticized Al-Ittihad superstar Karim Benzema's professionalism after skipping training and not reporting to the club on time.
According to Marca (via GOAL), Al-Ittihad had given Benzema a deadline until Friday to report to their training facilities in Jeddah. The France forward, however, never turned up, which has forced manager Marcelo Gallardo to leave him behind for the training camp.
Benzema had also missed training for three days towards the end of last year. According to the aforementioned report, the former Real Madrid star also had a fallout with former manager Nuno Espirito Santo. This resulted in the sacking of the Portuguese tactician.
Football fans on X (formerly Twitter) were less than impressed by Karim Benzema's antics. Some stated that the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner only signed with the Saudi outfit for money while others indicate that there could be some deeper issue in the league.
Here are a few reaction for fans on X:
"Trouble in paradise."
"It’s downhill after Madrid, he shouldn’t have left man."
Here are some more reactions from the social media platform:
Benzema joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 after his contract at Real Madrid expired. The 36-year-old forward penned a three-year deal with the defending Saudi Pro League champions, which would theoretically keep him at the club until 2026.
According to Marca, Benzema earns around €100 million per season plus an additional €20 million to work as Saudi Arabia's ambassador for their 2030 FIFA World Cup bid. The World Cup, however, will be co-hosted by six nations spanning three continents. The hosts include Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
How has Karim Benzema performed for Al-Ittihad this season?
Karim Benzema became the second Ballon d'Or winner after Cristiano Ronaldo to join the Saudi Pro League in its recent revival. The former France international has had a decent first season in the Middle East.
As things stand, Benzema has scored 12 goals and provided five assists for Al-Ittihad acorss all competitions. This includes a tally of nine goals and five assists in the league.
Karim Benzema has netted one hat-trick for his new side this season. That came against Abha in a 4-2 victory back in November. He also provided an assist during that game.
Benzema and Al-Ittihad most recently suffered a humiliating 5-2 defeat at the hands of Al-Nassr and his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. While Ronaldo starred in that game scoring a brace, Benzema could only provide an assist as they fell to a heavy defeat.