Benzema's first response after Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad's draw and his dispute with Inzaghi
In his first official response following the widespread controversy surrounding the 23rd round of the Saudi Professional League, French star Karim Benzema broke his silence with a brief but telling message. On his official Twitter account (formerly known as "X"), Benzema wrote, "We'll talk in the end ," in response to the barrage of harsh criticism directed at him and his coach after Al-Hilal's disappointing 1-1 draw against Al-Ittihad.
Behind the scenes of "Founding Day" night at Kingdom Arena
The Kingdom Arena witnessed a high-stakes encounter as part of the "Founding Day Round" competitions. Al-Hilal entered the match aiming to solidify their lead, while Al-Ittihad sought a positive result despite the challenging circumstances. The match began with Al-Hilal seemingly in control, as Brazilian Malcom opened the scoring early in the fifth minute, igniting the crowd's enthusiasm. Al-Hilal's chances of securing the victory increased after Al-Ittihad defender Hassan Kadash was sent off in the ninth minute, forcing the visitors to play with ten men.
Despite Al-Ittihad's early numerical disadvantage, the match took an unexpected turn in the second half, with the home side regaining their composure and equalizing in the 53rd minute through their Algerian player, Houssem Aouar. This draw felt like a defeat for Al-Hilal, as they lost their league lead to their arch-rivals, Al-Nassr, who capitalized on the opportunity and climbed to the top of the table by a single point after their victory over Al-Hazm.
Tactical disagreement in the locker room and tension with the fans
Private sources revealed to Okaz newspaper exciting behind-the-scenes details of a heated argument between Karim Benzema and Al-Hilal coach Filippo Inzaghi during halftime. According to the sources, the French star tried to convince the coach of the need to change the team's tactics and intensify the attack to exploit Al-Ittihad's numerical disadvantage and secure an early victory. This tactical intervention caused tension and unrest in the Al-Hilal dressing room, negatively impacting the team's performance, which noticeably declined in the second half instead of capitalizing on the situation.
The controversy wasn't limited to technical matters; it extended to the player's relationship with the fans. After the final whistle, Al-Hilal fans unleashed their fury on the coach and players, singling out Benzema for a significant portion of the criticism. Adding insult to injury was Benzema's behavior; he refused to acknowledge the fans in the stands, opting instead to head straight to the locker room with teammates Malcom and Theo. This action angered the rest of the team and was perceived by the fans as a blatant disregard for their feelings on a night when they lost their lead in the league.
Impact of the result on the Saudi League race
This draw has intensified the competition in the Saudi Professional League, proving this round that the title race will be anything but easy. Al-Hilal's loss of two points and their surrender of the top spot to Al-Nassr has reshuffled the standings at the top, placing immense pressure on the world-class players and coaches in the upcoming rounds. Sports fans are eagerly awaiting to see how Benzema and his teammates will handle this psychological and media pressure in the upcoming matches, and whether the phrase "we'll talk at the end" will be a promise of a strong comeback or merely an attempt to temporarily appease the fans' anger.
