JEDDAH — Al Ittihad has granted their captain French striker Karim Benzema three days leave due to "special circumstances," as confirmed by a club official to the French Press Agency on Saturday. Benzema, the 2022 World Player of the Year, is experiencing a challenging period with the Saudi team, marked by recent losses in three consecutive local league matches and an elimination from the FIFA Club World Cup at the hands of Egypt's Al Ahly. In that match, Benzema missed a crucial penalty kick. The 36-year-old former Real Madrid player has faced a barrage of sharp criticism, prompting him to deactivate his Instagram account, where he is followed by 76 million people. An unnamed official from Al Ittihad said that Benzema "requested a three-day leave for special circumstances." The official also noted that the player, a five-time UEFA Champions League winner, traveled to Madrid on Thursday evening. The official emphasized Benzema's professionalism, asserting his continued commitment to the team. This leave would have meant Benzema missing the match against Al Tai on Saturday night. However, the Saudi Pro League announced on Friday the postponement of this match. Al Ittihad was unable to travel to Hail to face Al Tai due to adverse weather conditions. Consequently, the match has been rescheduled for Feb. 7, 2024, following a break of over a month and a half due to the Asian Cup held in Qatar. Al Ittihad, currently in the sixth position and trailing 25 points behind the leading team Al Hilal (with one less game played by Al Ittihad), is now considered the weakest in both offense and defense among the big four clubs in Saudi Arabia (Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad).
