‘Football needs to be respected’ – Karim Benzema’s brother criticises Al-Ittihad | OneFootball

Karim Benzema (36) has not had an easy time since swapping Real Madrid for Al-Ittihad last summer, poor performances, rumoured unhappiness, and internal tensions have all blotted the headlines of a player whose move to Saudi Arabia was meant to be at the vanguard of a new era for the league.

There has been frequent fan criticism of Benzema, with 13 goals across all competitions, a meagre return for a contract worth €200 million per year, and a team that finds itself out of the title race, out of the AFC Champions League, and after last night the losers of the Saudi Super Cup final.

Karim Benzema’s positioning at the heart of latest crisis

A 4-1 defeat to Al-Hilal with Benzema played out on the left rather than in his usual position as a number nine led to the striker’s brother taking to social media to call out the club and manager, Marcelo Gallardo, in the latest twist to the Frenchman’s story.

His brother stated on his Instagram story, “Benzema you play left now? This is a crime!!! It makes no sense football needs to be respected.” A comment that will not go down well after the forward had previously called out his teammates for not providing him enough support.

GFFN | Nick Hartland