Karim Benzema reportedly stormed out of Al-Ittihad's training after he refused to train alone as feud with Marcelo Gallardo continues to simmer.
WHAT HAPPENED?
According to Marca, the former Real Madrid striker continues to be at loggerheads with Gallardo and chose to ignore the manager's directive to train alone. His action did not go down well with the Al-Ittihad boss and he has chosen to exclude the French superstar from the upcoming Saudi Pro League match against Al-Tai.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
According to reports from Saudi Arabian outlet Arriyadiyah, the striker was asked to leave the group training session as the manager believed that Benzema's fitness was not up to the mark with the rest of the team. However, the player insisted that he had completed individual training sessions while the team was in Abu Dhabi for their pre-season camp, and expressed his desire to continue with the group.
DID YOU KNOW?
Benzema's discontent with the club appears to be escalating, as he was spotted training in the gym with the injured players on Tuesday. It is also reported that there is a complete breakdown of communication between Benzema and Gallardo and there was hardly any personal interaction between the two on Monday.
WHAT NEXT?
Tensions between Benzema and Al-Ittihad have been brewing since his delayed return from the mid-season break. While rumours of his potential departure surfaced in January, with links to Manchester United and Chelsea, he ultimately remained with the club. He also allegedly held crunch talks with the club officials in February to get clarity on his future and clear the air but it seems that the issue remains to be resolved.
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