“It’s Completely False,” Karim Benzema Pours Cold Water on Rumors Linking Him With A Move Away from Al-Ittihad
Karim Benzema was one of the big-profile arrivals to the Saudi Pro League last summer. The former Real Madrid striker underscored the promise of the Saudi Pro League and its ambition to emerge as one of the major leagues in the world of football.
The exit of Jordan Henderson has generated negative headlines about the sustainability of the SPL model and raised questions about the number of high-profile players who want to stay in the league in the medium and long term.
Rumors of Karim Benzema’s imminent exit from the SPL to return to Europe have recently added to the sense that the league is losing momentum. All that has been quelled by Benzema himself, who told L’Equipe “It’s completely false! The French media don’t know what to invent any more. The bigger it is, the better.”
The denial will be welcome news to Al-Ittihad, who are eager to keep hold of their talent. The player and club have not had the best of seasons as their fight for the Saudi Pro League has ebbed.
However, Al-Ittihad manager Marcelo Gallardo has shown a willingness to keep Benzema and build the team around him as they bid to bounce back in the latter stages of the season and drive the momentum into the next season.
For the Saudi Pro League, keeping Benzema will be important to quash the talk of a crisis in the SPL as unfounded.
