Al-Ittihad’s joys continue after achieving the Saudi Professional Football League title after a long absence, as its fans are preparing to receive the new striker Karim Benzema with great enthusiasm, and are waiting to see the golden ball-winning player in the yellow and black shirt for the first time in their stadium.
The 35-year-old French star, captain of Real Madrid, who won 25 titles with the Spanish team, joined the federation last Tuesday with a huge contract until 2026 after leaving Real Madrid by mutual consent.
🔊 𝟙, 𝟚, 𝟛… Hala Madrid! #ThanksKarim pic.twitter.com/1jRKSR0cXr
– Real Madrid (@realmadridarab) June 6, 2023
The fans will be on a date with seeing him today, Thursday, at the Radioactive Jewel Stadium, for the first time wearing the Al-Ittihad shirt, and it is expected that he will carry the number 9 shirt to snatch it from Moroccan striker Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah, the top scorer in the Saudi League this season.
The federation offered tickets for the reception on its official website on Wednesday, at a starting price of nine riyals ($2.40), and the crowd flocked to them.
🚨 Benzema in Jeddah 🤩#Benzema _ Federal #SSC pic.twitter.com/cUyFTzEdRA
– Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) June 7, 2023
More than 56,000 tickets were sold within a few hours in the stadium, which has a capacity of about 62,000 spectators.
Mahmoud Abdel Rahman, who has been a fan of Al-Ittihad since his childhood, said about Benzema’s transfer, “It is very emotional. Benzema moved from my team that I support in Europe (Real Madrid) to my local team, and this is a very nice feeling.”
Federal beans ✍️🤩
🎼 Good luck tonight#Benzema2Ittihad#here2inspireKSA pic.twitter.com/YvsWFzebXF– Saudi Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad) June 6, 2023
Ronaldo effect
Abdul Rahman, 23, believes that the transfer of Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo to victory last December played a role in attracting the brightest stars to the Kingdom.
He said about his response when he learned of the federation’s negotiations with Benzema, “I did not rule out the occurrence of the deal, because everything is possible after Ronaldo’s arrival.”
It seems that Al-Ittihad’s surprises to its fans will not stop at signing with Benzema, as it is close to contracting with his compatriot N’Golo Kante, Chelsea midfielder and 2018 World Cup winner.
The federation’s support comes before its participation in the Club World Cup, which Saudi Arabia will host next December.
Abdel Rahman said about Al-Ittihad’s deals, “Before Benzema and my chance to win the AFC Champions League was 20%, now it is 90%. We will also reach advanced stages in the Club World Cup, and why not achieve it?”
During its only participation, Al-Ittihad qualified for the golden square of the tournament that was held in Japan in 2005.
🎼 It’s all up to you, Karim 🤩👏 #Benzema2Ittihad#here2inspireKSA pic.twitter.com/iALsk6XsnR
– Saudi Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad) June 7, 2023
God’s dilemma
Questions will revolve around the future of Moroccan striker Hamdallah with the team after Benzema joined, which puts Al-Ittihad fans in bewilderment.
Hamdallah, who is three years younger than Benzema, played a pivotal role in winning the Saudi League title for the first time since 2009, when he scored 21 goals in the past season.
Dina Salama, who has been supporting Al-Ittihad since 2016, believes that the situation is complicated. He won all the championships with Hamdallah and Karim.
She added, “I feel proud, happy and sad about Benzema’s transfer, and the reason is that I love him very much because I encourage Real Madrid and because he is coming to my country and excited to play with it, but I am sad because I was hoping that he would win another championship with Real Madrid before leaving the team.”
And she continued, “But my sadness over his departure from the team is less, because he will play in Saudi Arabia and for Al-Ittihad, and not for Al-Hilal, Al-Nasr, or Al-Ahly, because I would have collapsed in this case.”
Dina reflected the enthusiasm of Al-Ittihad fans when she said, “In the past, I attended most of the matches at Al-Jawhara Stadium, but after Benzema came, I will not miss any meeting.”
2023-06-08 11:34:39
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