Karim Benzema reportedly walked out of an Al-Ittihad training session after refusing to follow his manager's orders.
Marcelo Gallardo had ordered the Frenchman to train alone but the striker refused and stormed out and, as a result, has been left out of the squad to take on Al-Tai in Wednesday night's Saudi Pro League clash. Benzema was pictured training at the club's facilities on Tuesday, but only with the injured players.
Benzema's relationship with his employers has broken down in recent weeks with the forward failing to return to training on time - later reporting 17 days late, leaving the club 'furious', reports Marca.
One source stated that Al-Ittihad couldn't even establish contact with their player for 10 days whilst he enjoyed a holiday in Mauritius. He was later excluded from the club's training camp after failing to impress Gallardo. The club's hierarchy held crunch talks with Benzema just months after he joined from Real Madrid.
There was talk of the Ballon d'Or winner being moved on, potentially to a different Saudi outfit, but he ended up staying put. Benzema penned a lucrative deal back in the summer, which earns him an annual sum of £86million as the league's chiefs look to improve their domestic scene.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea were among those linked with a move in January when it looked as if he could cut short his time in Saudi. A rumoured move to Lyon in his native France also fell through.
Benzema reportedly remains unsettled in Saudi and he could yet seek a move back to Europe. Already Jordan Henderson has decided to quit the Middle Eastern league after terminating his deal, which freed him up to join Ajax.
When the Frenchman moved to Saudi Arabia he said: "It now feels the time is right for a new challenge and project. I am looking forward to joining my new team-mates and, together with them, help take this amazing club and the game in Saudi Arabia to new levels."
Benzema has not yet had the desired affect for Al-Ittihad, who sit fifth in the Saudi Pro League. The club also invested in landing Fabinho from Liverpool and N'Golo Kante when his Chelsea contract expired.
Adolfbaba
376
Benzema already sacked one coach, now he's walking out of training.. Al-Ittihad used their own money to sign their master...
Kaboi123
85
Ronaldo loves money, but he genuinely desired to play in the SPL, and he’s playing his best football there. Whereas Benzema’s move to the SPL, like Ronaldo’s, was motivated by money but also by the fact that other high-profile players were moving there. He perhaps expected a lot but ended up disappointed. The league is hard and competitive like any other. Fellow players refused to worship him, and he thought he would overrun the managers, as is the case with Nuno, whom he managed to get sacked. It is sad that the club’s hierarchy would soon bow down to Benzema’s frustration and call for the current manager’s head and sack him, just to make the player happy and prevent their prized asset from leaving the club. He anticipated that because he’s a Muslim and playing in the country that is 99% Islamic, he would fit in with the culture, but that didn't work out either. This guy is arrogant and undisciplined. His attitude stinks and could contaminate the other well-behaved players who see how he is receiving special treatment when he misbehaves but never get punished for it. It is what it is. They must release him before he ruin the good reputation of the Saudi Pro League. Ombwela.