Despite spending big over the summer, the defending champions have slumped to sixth in the table and are in danger of falling out of the title race
Karim Benzema's move to Saudi Arabia obviously wasn't just about football. But he insisted it wasn't solely a question of money, either. Benzema explained that he was not only enamoured with the idea of living in a "Muslim country", but also intrigued by the prospect of a "new challenge" and a "new project".
"I really want to help Saudi football grow," the Al-Ittihad striker stated just over two weeks ago. "I wanted to be part of the story. That's the reason why I came here."
However, Benzema also claimed that while he was fully committed to transforming the Saudi Pro League into something truly special, "the most important thing for me will be to win trophies at the end of the season." Right now, though, achieving that goal is looking far more difficult than expected…
Getty'Historic milestone for a special club'
When the Benzema deal was made official in June, Al-Ittihad president Anmar Bin Abdullah Alhailae quite rightly called the forward's arrival "a historic milestone for this special club". However, it was also a colossal coup for the Saudi Pro League, arguably even more significant than Cristiano Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr six months previously.
Why? Because Benzema was still performing somewhere near the peak of his powers. The same could not be said of Ronaldo, who had been shunned by all of Europe's elite after petulantly forcing his way out of Manchester United because he could no longer get in the starting line-up. A catastrophic World Cup campaign in Qatar tarnished his legacy and did nothing to challenge the belief that Ronaldo was now far more trouble than he was worth.
Benzema, by complete contrast, was the reigning Ballon d'Or holder and, for all his increasing injury issues, had still scored 31 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions during the 2022-23 campaign. Tellingly, coach Carlo Ancelotti was desperate to keep him.
AdvertisementGetty'All eyes will be on Karim'
Benzema, though, turned down Madrid's offer of a contract extension to sign a massive deal with Al-Ittihad, who had just been taken over by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). The numbers were staggering, but one could understand the thinking behind the transfer. Benzema would add even greater legitimacy to the league than Ronaldo, meaning other high-profile players would follow the Frenchman to Saudi Arabia, and so it proved.
Neymar was the most eye-catching acquisition for Al-Hilal (another club taken over by PIF), but Al-Ittihad further strengthened their 2022-23 title-winning squad with midfield duo Fabinho and N'Golo Kante.
Benzema was obviously the big draw, though. As club president Anmar Bin Abdullah Alhailae said, "all eyes will be on Karim" – and they most definitely were when he made his debut on July 27, in the Arab Club Champions Cup. Benzema didn't disappoint either, scoring the winner in a 2-1 win over Esperance de Tunis.
He proved decisive again in Al-Ittihad's two subsequent group-stage games, against Club Sfaxien and Al-Shorta. Nuno Espirito Santo's side may have then been eliminated in the quarter-finals, but with Benzema having seemingly settled quickly into his new surroundings, the champions looked a good bet to retain their Saudi Pro League title when the new season got under way in the middle of August.
However, while Al-Ittihad won their opening two games without conceding a goal, Benzema failed to score in either victory and, ahead of the meeting with Al-Riyadh on August 24, media outlet claimed that there was tension behind the scenes.
'This is bullsh*t!'
According to the report, Nuno had not been consulted on the signing of Benzema and deemed the attacker incompatible with his tactical game plan. It was alleged that Benzema was "not comfortable" playing under the Portuguese as a consequence, and felt that the coach was not treating him in a "professional" manner. They had also apparently clashed over the captaincy.
The following day, though, Benzema wore the armband against Al-Riyadh and opened his Pro League account with the first goal in an impressive 4-0 win.
Even more significantly, Benzema moved to quash rumours of a falling-out with team-mate Abderrazak Hamdallah, Al-Ittihad's top scorer during last season's title triumph, by handing him the ball following the award of a first-half penalty.
After the game, Nuno also angrily addressed talk of a rift between him and his star player. "I want to clarify one thing," Nuno told a press conference. "I read in the press that my relationship with Karim was not good. Those who know me will know, of course, that this is bullsh*t!
"My relationship with all the players is good. We have a strong group relationship and we are happy with all the players. We are happy that Karim is here with us. He is happy, as you can see on the pitch. He is enjoying playing for Al-Ittihad. I understand where he comes from. But we are a strong group, we are a very strong group."
GettyPressure mounting
That may very well be the case, but there have been increasing signs of weakness in recent weeks. The cracks first started to appear at the start of November, when Al-Ittihad lost their 100 percent record by blowing a 3-1 lead in a 4-3 loss at home to their biggest rivals, Al-Hilal, that featured a hat-trick from Aleksandar Mitrovic.
They bounced back with narrow wins over Al-Okhdood and Al-Fateh, with Benzema scoring the decisive goal against the former. However, the titleholders have now failed to win any of their last four league games, which has seen them slump from first to sixth in the table, eight points behind Al-Hilal.
They also required penalties to beat second-division side Al-Kholood in the King's Cup, and though they have since gone on to secure a quarter-final berth in the competition, and have won two from two in the AFC Champions League, their Pro League form has some worried as to whether their title defence is already petering out. Consequently, the pressure is mounting on both Nuno and Benzema.