Who will Benzema play for in Saudi Arabia and how much will he earn?
After 14 seasons with Real Madrid, Karim Benzema is set to leave the club and join Al Ittihad, a team based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, playing in the Saudi Pro League. Real Madrid confirmed Benzema's departure a few hours before their match against a Basque side, ending the speculation about his future. The club acknowledged that Benzema had earned the right to decide his own path, indicating that the decision to leave had been made by the French striker.
Benzema's move to Al Ittihad will make him the second high-profile player to join the Saudi Pro League, following in the footsteps of his former Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in January 2023. Al Ittihad, the current league champions, are reportedly set to spend 200 million euros to secure Benzema's services for two seasons. Additionally, the Lyon native is expected to become an ambassador for Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2030 World Cup. According to football finance specialists Capology, Benzema earned a gross salary of 24 million euros per year at Real Madrid.
Al Ittihad, based in the city of Jeddah in the Mecca region of Saudi Arabia, was established on December 26, 1929, five years before the creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The name of the club translates to "The Union" in Arabic, and its founding purpose was simply to provide entertainment to the people of Jeddah. The team plays their home matches at the King Abdullah Sports City, a stadium that can accommodate over 62,000 spectators. Currently managed by former Wolves, Spurs, and Valencia manager Nuno Espirito Santo, Al Ittihad are the reigning champions of the Roshn Saudi League.
The 2023/24 Saudi Pro League season is scheduled to begin on August 11 and will run through to May 2024. Benzema's move to Al Ittihad is expected to be one of several high-profile transfers to the Gulf nation during the summer months..
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