- Karim Benzema’s Saudi Pro League move has not gone to plan for the Frenchman
- The striker appeared to delete his Instagram account after Al-Ittihad’s latest loss
- Ian Ladyman reveals the most BORING manager he’s dealt with during his career – It’s All Kicking Off
Karim Benzema’s Saudi move appears to be going from bad to worse going by the nickname he has reportedly been given by his own fans.
The Real Madrid legend was one of many top European players to make the switch to the Saudi Pro League in the summer, joining Al-Ittihad in an £86m-a-year move.
There were high expectations of the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, joining a side who last season won the title, and partnered with two of the top Premier League midfielders of recent years in N’Golo Kante and Fabinho.
However, their 5-2 Boxing Day defeat by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, has left them 22 points off leaders Al-Hilal after 18 games.
According to French publication L’Equipe, Benzema’s own fans have given him the nickname ‘Ben-Hazima’ – which in Arabic translates to ‘the son of defeat’.
Al-Ittihad have suffered six defeats so far this season – already four more than they achieved across the whole of the 2022-23 season.
They are sixth in the standings and have failed to win four of their last five games in all competitions. They also suffered a disappointing early defeat from the FIFA Club World Cup after losing to Al Ahly in the second round.
This has led to fans turning against Benzema, as evident by their brutal nickname, as they have been ‘relentless’ in their criticism of the underachieving side.
There were loud boos from Al-Ittihad fans after their defeat by Al-Nassr, in a game where former team-mate Ronaldo and Sadio Mane both bagged braces.
Al-Ittihad had taken the 1-0 lead in the game with Benzema bagging an assist, only for the game to turn in their opponent’s favour after he gave away a penalty – leading to Ronaldo’s equaliser.
Manager Marcelo Gallardo was criticised by Saudi pundits, with analyst Hatem Khaimi stating as per Essentially Sports: ‘The expulsion and penalty kick made the match one-sided, and Gallardo helped do that by removing Cornado and keeping Benzema on.’
As previously reported, Benzema appeared to delete his Instagram account – which has 76 million followers – after the loss.
His Instagram account now comes up with a message saying the ‘page isn’t available’ and that ‘the link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed’.
This suggests that either Benzema has deleted or temporarily suspended his Instagram account.
Benzema has faced scrutiny in Saudi Arabia despite bagging nine goals and four assists in 14 games.
Al-Ittihad, last season’s champions, sacked their title-winning manager Nuno Espirito Santo mid-season after a row with Benzema.
As reported by Goal, the club’s fans have also accused the Frenchman of being ‘lazy’ and ‘unwilling’ to his play his part in the construction of play.
A Saudi reporter meanwhile, as per talkSPORT, reported that Benzema ‘makes no effort’ and has ‘offered nothing’.
Walid Al-Farraj said: ‘The gap between Benzema and the public is growing day by day. He didn’t play and never managed to make a single difference. And above all, he makes no effort, as if he were telling the audience: ‘I’m just having fun with you’.
‘When Ronaldo arrived in January he showed signs that he wanted to play, but Benzema offered nothing. It’s like the team doesn’t like him. He is uncomfortable. I don’t know the reason.’
Ronaldo, who is now approaching a year in Saudi Arabia, has outshone the player he formed a prolific connection with during their time together at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This season alone, Ronaldo has scored 23 goals and provided 11 assists in 24 games, and the Portuguese star tops the Saudi Pro League scoring charts at the age of 38 with his tally of 19 goals.
He is also now on 53 goals for the calendar year, which is more than the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, albeit, playing in a weaker league.
Benzema on the other hand is still yet to make it into double digits in the Saudi Pro League and is seventh in the scoring charts – joint on nine goals with a number of players including Odion Ighalo.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
