Karim Benzema has returned to his former club, Real Madrid, in a bid to overcome his recent injury problems.
The legendary Frenchman, winner of the 2022 Ballon d’Or, joined Al Ittihad last summer on a lucrative three-year contract, prompting a mass exodus of some European football players to the riches of the Middle East.
But Benzema’s first crusade in Saudi Arabia is still not ideal. Amid rumours of a feud with manager Marcelo Gallardo, he has struggled to maintain compatibility and string together a steady series of appearances, with his absence contributing to Al Ittihad’s problems in the league. .
Benzema has scored 21 goals in 29 games (equally impressive figures), but Al Ittihad are 30-time opponents of Al Hilal, whose team has the likes of Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. They also have Neymar on their books, although he has only played 3 games after succumbing to a torn ACL in October.
Now, in a bid to cure Benzema of his injury problems, Al Ittihad have shown that the 36-year-old has returned to Madrid for treatment.
“Karim Benzema is undergoing further examinations at Real Madrid’s clinic with his former doctor in Spain, who oversaw his treatment in recent years,” Al Ittihad wrote in a statement.
“Consultations have been ongoing between the medical teams at Ittihad and Real Madrid in relation to Benzema’s injuries, which have caused him to miss key games this season. Benzema has already left for Spain and is expected to return next week. “
Benzema’s 14 years at Real Madrid allowed him to win every single honour possible in the sport, culminating in his Ballon d’Or in 2022. The honour came after a 2021/22 campaign in which he scored 44 goals. on the way to a treble in La Liga, Champions League and Club World Cup, as well as the Pichichi Trophy (the award for the highest goals scored in La Liga).
Before those successes, he had already won four Champions Leagues, adding three in a row under Zinedine Zidane.