Dark clouds have surrounded Karim Benzema ever since his side endured a shocking defeat against Al Nassr. While the Al Ittihad star continues to become a subject of criticism among the soccer fraternity, a pundit has come in defense of Benzema, insisting he is not the ‘main issue.’ 

Instead, the pundit also blames the Middle Eastern side’s fault for sacking their former coach, Nuno Espírito Santo, claiming the former Real Madrid striker is not solely responsible for Al Ittihad’s downfall. 

Karim Benzema is out of the woods amid Al Ittihad’s troubles 

In the latest installment of ‘The Gab & Juls Show,’ Karim Benzema’s fallout within the Al Ittihad fanbase became a topic of discussion. Pundit Gabriel Marcotti informed co-host Julien Laurens about Benzema’s criticism and revealed that the player has reportedly deactivated his Instagram account. Interestingly, Laurens responded, “I’m not really sure either that Benzema is really the main issue if Al Ittihad are not having a great season that they thought they were going to have to be fair.” Additionally, Marcotti added, “Well surely, it’s losing Nuno Spirit clearly as well.” 

This is certainly quite a huge claim from both revered pundits, who took sides with Benzema instead. Notably, things haven’t significantly changed for Al Ittihad since they sacked Nuno Espírito and replaced him with Marcelo Gallardo. Currently, the Nadi Al-Sha’ab are sitting in sixth place in the Roshn Saudi League with just 28 points. While they qualified for the AFC Champions League round of 16, Gallardo and co. endured an early exit from the Club World Cup. Additionally, Benzema’s personal coach also backed the striker by urging fans to show some respect.

READ MORE: Roberto Martinez Credits Saudi Pro League for ‘Positive’ Influence on Cristiano Ronaldo & Portugal NT Teammates – “Able to Play at a High Level”

Personal coach throws his weight behind Benzema

The fans’ criticism has bothered Benzema’s coach, who lambasted the fans for expecting respect for the striker. He wrote, “You can’t blame just one player in a match. There are 11 players. It’s not a tennis match, it’s football. We are talking about one of the best players in the world with the most titles and who made history in the best team in the world (Real Madrid). Respect him.”

Sadly, Benzema had been dubbed “Ben-Hazima,” translating to “the son of defeat.” Additionally, Gallardo was also criticized for including the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner in the starting lineup. It appears that Benzema’s situation has taken a downturn. Here’s to wishing for a positive turn of events in the coming year for ‘El Gato’.

WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Ronaldo and All About Their Pets