Benzema is in danger of being substituted because of a conflict with the coach
The source of the conflict between Nuno and Benzema is said to have come from the Portuguese coach's refusal to let the French striker captain as he requested. Tensions reached a peak when Nuno met directly with club leaders to present this matter. Al Ittihad is now faced with two options, either dismissing the coach, or accepting the number one star in the reserve.
According to the Sun, Nuno believes Benzema is not his style and Al Ittihad recruited the 35-year-old striker without consulting him. In contrast, Benzema complained that he was treated unprofessionally by the coach.
Al Ittihad's contract with Benzema is said to have a clause that the French striker will wear the captain's armband when he moves in. But Nuno disagreed with this. He handed the captain's armband to the legendary Romarinho club. The Portuguese coach helped Al Ittihad win the Saudi Pro League last season and believes he has the right to decide matters inside the dressing room.
Benzema is the biggest star moving to Saudi Arabia this summer. He is paid a salary of 219 million USD per year by Al Ittihad, the second highest in the world after his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who is paid 220 million by Al Nassr.
The former Real striker started off like a dream with three goals in four matches in the framework of the Arab Club Champions Cup. However, Benzema failed in the first two rounds of the Saudi Pro League 2023-2024, although Al Ittihad still won.
The conflict between Nuno and Benzema resulted in the French striker missing a few recent training sessions. The fact that the 2022 Golden Ball was criticized by Nuno for not matching his style surprised the fans.
On Twitter, one person commented: "If a five-time Champions League winner like Benzema doesn't fit Nuno's style, he probably doesn't have style at all." Another commented: "Benzema is the best player in the world. Find a way to build a squad around him Nuno".
Benzema scored 354 goals in 648 games in 14 years with Real.
