Although he arrived Saudi Arabia as a Star, Karim Benzema seems to be at odds with Nuno Espírito Santo, manager of Al-Ittihad.
According to the Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, the Portuguese coach has made it clear that the Frenchman does not suit his style of play and that he wasn’t consulted before the hiring process.
To add to the ongoing conflict, Benzema, the latest Ballon d’Or winner, would not make team captain at his new club.
This is because of Romarinho, a Brazilian striker, who has been wearing the bracelet since the end of last season, in May of this year.
When Benzema requested to wear the band, just like Cristiano Ronaldo does at Al-Nassr, for example, he was faced with Nuno’s supposed refusal.
This led to Benzema to complain directly to the heads of the institution, claiming an alleged lack of seriousness on the part of the coach.
Let’s go 🐅 pic.twitter.com/IVK53bvxPM
— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) August 24, 2023
Romarinho, the bearer of the ribbon that Benzema would like
Benzema was the great signing of Al-Ittihad for the 2023/24 season. He left Real Madrid without the Saudi club having to pay a penny, leaving as a free player, although he agreed to a big contract: his salary would be €200 million per season.
Nuno, for his part, has already been in charge of the Jeddah team for more than a year. The Portuguese took over in July 2022 and had a fantastic first season, in which he led the team to the league title. The directive brought important reinforcements for this campaign; in addition to Benzema, Al-Ittihad added N’Golo Kanté, Jota and Fabinho.
However, it does not seem keen on further modifying the champion team of last season. Hence, the captain’s armband would remain in the hands of Romarinho.
