TRANSFER MARKET: GALLARDO OFFICIALLY FIRED FROM AL-ITTIHAD AFTER DISMISSING BENZEMA

Saudi club Al-Ittihad has made official the departure of its coach Marcelo Gallardo, who, in the eyes of the president, is guilty of sidelining the team’s star, Karim Benzema.

This time, the adventure is well and truly over. Al-Ittihad announced the ouster of its coach, Marcelo Gallardo , on Tuesday, just seven months after his arrival. “Today, Ittiah Club has terminated the contract of its head coach Marcelo Gallardo,” announced a short text on the club’s X account. “The club wishes him the best for his future goals.” The departure of the Argentinian, appointed in November 2023, had been announced in the press by the club president who criticized him for having sidelined the team’s star, Karim Benzema.

Conflicting relations with Benzema

“Gallardo made major mistakes by asking for Benzema to be sidelined, which is unacceptable,” lamented the Al-Ittihad president, in comments reported by Fabrizio Romano ten days ago. “He is an essential element of the Saudi Arabian project and the club.”

Gallardo and Benzema have had a very cool relationship during their short collaboration. The Argentinian coach had notably decided to do without the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner for the round of 16 first leg of the Asian Champions League against Navbahor Namangan (Uzbekistan) by not including him among the five non-Asian players allowed. He had mentioned a “purely technical” decision.

“He is currently training alone, after joining the team a few days ago,” he added. “When he is physically and technically ready, he will undoubtedly join the group, most likely next week.” Gallardo had also sanctioned the French striker in January by leaving him out of the group for a training camp in Dubai due to his late return for the restart. He had also aroused the wrath of the French striker’s brother for his “tactical crime” of having him lined up on the left in April.