Benzema's Renewed Resolve as Al Ittihad Eyes Trophy Triumph

Much has changed from last season at Al Ittihad, but one constant at the club has been captain Karim Benzema.

The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, a marquee signing in the Kingdom’s historic 2023 summer transfer window, has returned for the 2024-25 Roshn Saudi League with a renewed sense of purpose.

His renewed enthusiasm is undoubtedly bolstered by the arrivals of fellow Frenchmen, former teammates, and friends, as Al Ittihad strives to bounce back from last season’s disappointing title defense.

The Jeddah giants, who were unmatched in the previous campaign, finished fifth in 2023-24, falling five points short of securing Asian football and trailing 37 points behind eventual champions Al Hilal.

Al Ittihad’s new star Houssem Aouar is feeling the love already pic.twitter.com/Etv4oU7kAh

A bold recruitment drive in the off-season has brought in manager Laurent Blanc, Algerian playmaker Houssem Aouar, France international winger Moussa Diaby, Serbia national-team goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic, and a host of top local talents including Saleh Al Shehri and Muath Faqeehi.

It’s no wonder that when Benzema sat down with the Saudi Pro League to discuss the season ahead, he did so with a contented smile and optimistic outlook.

“This season we're all pulling in the same direction,” the former Real Madrid captain says. “We have just one objective: to do well and win trophies. In the end, there won’t be any complicated discussions. We all work together.

“The group is living well, and as I say, the substitutes, the regulars, and the youngsters, we all have just one objective: to win. We've changed a lot this season, with players leaving, others arriving, and a new coach...”

Barely pausing for breath, Benzema emphasizes the optimism.

“In fact, we're in the best possible shape,” he adds. “Personally, I feel great. After that, the players who have arrived are ones I know, ones I played with in the national team, like Diaby. I know Houssem from Lyon; the goalkeeper is the same, 'Rajko' - we played against each other in La Liga.

“These are players who have played in Europe, who know the pressure, who know the ambition. It's good for the Saudi Pro League. It’s good for the club. It shows that we want to win.”

Of course, for a club of such stature and support, Al Ittihad didn't meet expectations last time out. Having lifted a first RSL title in nine years at the end of the 2022-23 season, they aimed to defend their title by signing players like Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Fabinho, and Felipe Luiz.

A new, younger direction is being built at Al Ittihad https://t.co/MeNJQJzlc6

However, Al Ittihad struggled to maintain a prolonged title bid, ultimately dispensing with manager Nuno Espirito-Santo. His replacement, Marcelo Gallardo, was let go almost immediately after the 2023-24 season concluded.

“I don’t like talking about last season, but it’s true that there were a lot of problems,” Benzema says. “We weren’t focused enough on football. We have to use that - the few failures - to bounce back, and that's what we did in the pre-season, with a lot of changes.

“And the most important thing is to look straight ahead, without forgetting the past, and above all to learn from our mistakes.

“The team needed a change, a strengthening. After that, to be able to compete, you really need ambition, to be ambitious, to work hard, to be a strong, united group. Once you've got that, on the pitch it's 11 against 11.

“This season is really a new page for the club. I did everything I could to strengthen the team, to make it better and stronger, and I'm confident. Now we have to fight together to try and win trophies.”

In succeeding Gallardo in the dugout, Blanc is the man tasked with guiding that overarching objective. He has done more than most in football, being a FIFA World Cup winner as a player in 1998, and a four-time Ligue 1 champion as a manager.

Blanc also has regional experience, having managed Qatar’s Al Rayyan from 2020 to 2022. Benzema knows his compatriot well and believes that their relationship will be mutually beneficial.

“In Europe, Laurent Blanc is a well-known figure, and in Qatar too,” Benzema says. “Here too, people are getting to know his philosophy of play. It’s a game that starts from the back and builds the action up to the opponent’s goal.

“It's a philosophy that I've liked for a long time now. He's someone who knows football, someone who’s very close to his players. He's someone you can talk to and exchange ideas with.

“For him, who plays and who doesn't are equally important. That's good for us, and good for me, too.”