The Saudi Pro League champions, Al-Ittihad, led by French superstar Karim Benzema, suffered an embarrassing 5-2 home defeat at Prince Abdullah AlFaisal Stadium. This highly anticipated clash also marked the first face-off between Real Madrid icons Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo since 2008.
The hosts began strongly, taking an early lead through Abderrazak Hamdallah. However, faced with Al-Nassr’s retaliation, the defending champions’ defense faltered, conceding five goals. The shock of the defeat has reportedly led Karim Benzema to make an unusual decision.
Benzema deletes IG after losing to Ronaldo
In their recent clash against Al-Nassr, Karim Benzema made an assist, but the brace from Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo was enough to outshine the Frenchman’s efforts in the game. Consequently, the former Real Madrid striker seemingly deleted his Instagram account hours after the defeat.
Karim Benzema joined the Saudi Pro League side in the summer, leaving behind a glorious legacy in Europe following in the footsteps of his former colleague and friend Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s move paved the way for a mass exodus of star players from Europe to the Gulf nation.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, despite high expectations, has faced setbacks with poor performances in the Asian Champions League and SPL. Karim Benzema’s fallout with league-winning manager Nuno Espirito Santo in the locker room has resulted in his dismissal from the club.
The 36-year-old striker is struggling to consistently score goals for the Tigers, having netted only 9 goals in 15 Saudi Pro League appearances so far this season. However, the Saudi champions are falling behind in the race to defend their league title with Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr occupying the top two positions on the points table.
Karim Benzema’s unwanted moniker from Al Ittihad fans
Al-Ittihad Captain Karim Benzema, as the leader, faces scrutiny for his performance, as he has failed to make a significant impact so far in his stint. Expressing their disappointment with the five-time UEFA Champions League-winning forward, Al-Ittihad fans have given him a new nickname, called ‘Ben-Hazima,’ as per L’Equipe reports.
The Arabic slang wordplay translates to ‘the son of defeat,’ describing the present state of the club amid a run of defeats and expressing dissatisfaction with Benzema for not bringing in victories.
Al-Ittihad is currently experiencing a rough patch, with four losses in their last five games. The Jeddah-based club occupies sixth place with 28 points, having secured eight wins, four draws, and six defeats, with the most recent four being particularly notable. These results come from a total of 18 fixtures played this season.
