Karim Benzema Forced to Participate in Al Ittihad’s Training Camp Days After Shock U-Turn on Saudi Exit

Karim Benzema was in the limelight over the past few weeks, for obvious reasons. The Frenchman unleashed the Sword of Damocles at Al Ittihad, expressing his decision to leave his domestic side. While it reportedly didn’t take him long to quickly backpedal on his statement, it seems now the goalscorer may be forced to attend the mandatory training camp.

Throughout his feud with Marcelo Gallardo and Co., he had been absent and, at the same time, prohibited from attending the training sessions. However, the situation has changed as, according to various reports, the forthcoming training session will witness the participation of 11 players who were absent from the previous week’s Dubai camp. In the list of 11 players, Karim Benzema’s name is also there alongside his other teammates, who were unavailable because of injury or commitment to their respective national team calls.

Perhaps this decision came from the fact that Al Ittihad will soon kick off its domestic fixtures. Gallardo will need to have the squad ready for the King Cup of Champions’ Quarter-Final against Al Faisaly on February 4. It would be interesting to see if the head coach directly slots Karim Benzema into the starting XI. Notably, the Frenchman had gone AWOL since his side’s 5-2 loss against Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr. The lethal goalscorer had flown to Mauritius for a small break. However, he was forced to extend his stay due to a hurricane!

Likewise, the poor results weren’t the sole reason behind his desire to leave. The 2021 Ballon d’Or winner received a series of constant criticism from the club’s fanbase. Nevertheless, fans can finally see him back with the group. After all, he cleared the air regarding his exit.

Karim Benzema previously slammed the media for ‘lying’ and creating a ruckus

Earlier, Karim Benzema reportedly denied any conversations regarding his exit and even boldly accused the media of fabricating a story. While raising fingers, he succinctly clarified, “The media is lying, I did not ask to leave.” The player also denied his desire to leave the Roshn Saudi League and make a return to Europe. 

READ MORE: Al Ahli Coach Blocks Karim Benzema Transfer From Al Ittihad Citing 2 Major Challenges

“It’s completely false! The French media don’t know what to invent any more. The bigger, the better,” said Karim Benzema after hearing the reports making a return to Real Madrid. Intriguingly, he was also linked to solve Chelsea and Manchester United‘s No. 9 problems. But now, it looks like that will stay put in the Gulf. 

WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Jr’s Insane Training Schedule