The cohabitation between Karim Benzema and Abderrazak Hamdallah seems to be becoming increasingly difficult as both camps are engaging in sharp media exchanges…
For followers of the Saudi Arabian league, this is a situation that could have been anticipated. Recruited last summer by Al-Ittihad, Karim Benzema arrived as a major global football star and holder of the Ballon d’Or. The Real Madrid striker, with still plenty of good years ahead of him, had decided to join Saudi Arabia. However, while Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Al Nassr in a squad tailored for him, KB9 joined another Saudi giant that didn’t necessarily need a striker.
Al-Ittihad’s attacking line was already led by Moroccan striker Abderrazzak Hamdallah, a legend of the Saudi Arabian league. A true goal-scoring machine in Saudi Arabia, the 33-year-old forward (112 goals in 108 matches with Al Nassr, his former club between 2018 and 2021) had quickly made an impact with the Yellow and Blacks.
Last summer, in his debut season, he scored 25 goals in 31 league matches and significantly contributed to the Saudi Arabian league title. Now on the verge of becoming the league’s all-time top scorer, the Moroccan international would have to share the attacking role with Karim Benzema. With Hamdallah described as having a very strong character, questions arose about the cohabitation between the two men. Eventually, it seemed to work quite well between them in a two-striker system. However, Hamdallah slowly began to overshadow Benzema. While the Frenchman struggled to score goals, the Moroccan continued to find the back of the net and ranks 3rd in the league’s top scorer list (18 goals in 21 matches).
Could this be starting to irk Karim Benzema? That’s what the Saudi Arabian press revealed. The former Real Madrid striker, unhappy with his role, reportedly pushed for Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure early in the season. Under Marcelo Gallardo’s management, his situation didn’t improve, and a federal source revealed that Karim Benzema was considering leaving the club in the summer, discontent with the team’s performance and his role within it. Gallardo’s departure would even be welcomed by the player. In the meantime, Benzema had also made controversial remarks to justify his performances. “I’m not the same Benzema from Real Madrid because these are not the same matches, the same players… I need help on the field, I need many things. I can’t win matches alone,” he said. And that could have been the end of it… but that was without counting on the player’s brother who added fuel to the fire later on.
Attacks from both camps ensued.
“Karim Benzema, are you playing on the left now? It’s a crime! It doesn’t make sense. Football must be respected,” he wrote on his Instagram account. A statement targeting Gallardo, but also Hamdallah, who was the starting striker, forcing KB9 to play on the left. And this did not sit well with the agent and brother of Abderrazak Hamdallah. In an interview with Kooora, he completely tore into Benzema. “Maybe he wants him to leave because he scores more than him! This is not a professional behavior and does not suit a great player like him. And let’s not forget that it was the Frenchman who caused the coach’s departure. Former Nuno Santo, and now he wants to overthrow Gallardo and a few foreigners, including Hamdallah.
Isn’t Benzema the one who missed penalties?
The same one who scored an own goal when we expected him to score against the opponent, the one who didn’t come to the team’s camp (in Dubai) claiming there was a storm preventing him from traveling? He also took the team’s top scorer’s (Hamdallah) number without asking for permission, as all professional players in the world do. He’s the same one who took Romarinho’s captain armband without asking for permission.”
So, there were some scathing statements, widely circulated by the Saudi Arabian press. And Benzema’s brother, of course, didn’t miss the chance to react under an Instagram post with several laughing emojis, mocking the agent’s comments. This only exacerbated tensions between the two camps. In its pages, Goal Arabia even talks about a war between the two players who have strong personalities. And as Al-Ittihad lost the Saudi Arabian Super Cup final and seems to be losing the league title as well, the end of the season promises to be tense. The future of Karim Benzema could spark a lot of reaction in the upcoming transfer window.
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