2023-11-08T17:45:37+00:00
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/ Press reports indicated today, Wednesday, that a dispute broke out between Nuno Santo, the technical director of the Saudi Jeddah Federation, and his veteran French striker Karim Benzema inside the locker room, which caused the Portuguese coach to be ousted from his position.
According to the official website of the Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiah on Wednesday, the spark of disagreement flared up again between Benzema and Santo inside the locker room between halftime of the match that the team lost to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya with two unanswered goals, last Monday in the AFC Champions League.
The Saudi newspaper pointed out that Santo directed harsh criticism at the veteran French star, saying to him: “You are a great player, but it seems that you are being lazy in putting pressure on the opponent.” Benzema responded by saying: “Don’t just talk to me, talk to the whole group,” which sparked outrage. The coach got angry and told him, “You are the team leader, a role model for the players, and the most important player. You must take the initiative and be an example for all the players.”
According to Al-Riyadiah newspaper, the coach continued to direct harsh words to Benzema, rejecting his justifications, noting at the same time that the former Real Madrid striker spoke to club officials two weeks before the incident, that the continuation of Nuno Santo does not meet the aspirations of the federation, and that his presence hinders the team’s progress. .
Yesterday evening, Tuesday evening, the Jeddah Football Association announced the dismissal of its Portuguese coach, Nuno Santo, after the team’s loss to the Iraqi Air Force in the AFC Champions League, which came after 5 consecutive stumbles in the Roshen League, with two losses and three draws. Santo recorded an unsteady start to the season with Al-Ittihad. It came after a season that the fans considered historic, as it witnessed the team crowning the league title that had been absent for 14 years, in addition to being crowned with the Saudi Super Cup for the first time in its history. After faltering in the last rounds of the 2021/2022 season, Al-Ittihad found what it needed in the Portuguese Nuno Santo to return the ball with him. New in hopes of regaining titles. Al-Ittihad began the 2022/2023 season with a wide victory away from its stadium against Al-Adalah 3-0. During the first 10 rounds, it was able to score 24 points from seven wins and three draws, but it lost at home to Al-Hilal, a loss that raised the fans’ concern about the ability to The team won the major confrontations and then won the title.