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Nuno Espirito Santo, the stalwart manager at the helm of Al-Ittihad, has robustly quashed circulating speculations of a brewing discord with star striker Karim Benzema. This assertive clarification followed Benzema's first goal for the club during Al-Ittihad's commanding 4-0 victory over Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League.
Amidst the club's early matches, murmurs began emanating from certain sections of the Saudi press, suggesting Benzema's dissatisfaction with Nuno. This was supposedly stemming from the Ballon d'Or laureate's goal drought in Al-Ittihad's inaugural pair of league encounters. There was also buzz about Nuno's potential apprehension regarding Benzema's fit with his tactical approach, especially given Benzema's iconic tenure with Real Madrid.
This media frenzy fanned flames of discontent amongst the Al-Ittihad fanbase. Voices rose in opposition to Nuno, clamouring for his ouster, despite the fact that he had led the team to clinch their maiden league title since 2009 just the previous season.
Categorically dismissing these insinuations, Nuno, while conversing with Reuters, labelled them as utter "nonsense." He emphatically stated, "I share a harmonious bond with all my players, and our squad is particularly elated to have Benzema on board. He's thrilled to represent Al-Ittihad, and his zeal is evident every time he steps on the pitch."
In another instance debunking supposed internal conflicts, Benzema recently downplayed tales of a rift with the squad's top scorer from the last term, Abderrazak Hamdallah. This bond was prominently showcased during their recent match when Benzema, demonstrating an act of unity and trust, handed the penalty-taking responsibility to Hamdallah.
With Al-Ittihad’s impressive roster enhanced by the summer inclusions of midfield dynamos N'Golo Kante and Fabinho, the club is currently dominating the Saudi Pro League. Their trio of consecutive victories solidly places them atop the league leaderboard.
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