Bart DHanis
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Karim Benzema has submitted a transfer request to his club Al-Ittihad, the French news agency reports AFP Tuesday. The French star returned from holiday seventeen days late last week and feels there is pressure on him from the club. He wants to leave Saudi Arabia temporarily.
Benzema is already in talks with Olympique Lyon, various media reports include The Guardian. However, the Frenchman's salary is still an obstacle. Benzema already played for Lyon between 2005 and 2009. He became champion of France four times.
It became clear last week that there is friction between club and player. Benzema reported to his employer seventeen days late.
There was uncertainty for a long time surrounding the super striker, who was on holiday, and his club is furious with the Frenchman.
The former Ballon d'Or winner spent the holidays on Mauritius, an island near Madagascar. He was then supposed to return to his club in Saudi Arabia on January 2, but that did not happen for a long time. News agency AFP spoke to an anonymous source within the club.
“Benzema was supposed to return from his holiday on January 2, but did not hear from him for no less than ten days. He was unreachable,” the anonymous source reported. “Al-Ittihad offered him to move within Saudi Arabia, but Benzema did not like that.”
As a result, Benzema was removed from the selection last weekend by manager Marcelo Gallardo. There was a rumor that Benzema had been stuck on the island by Cyclone Belal, making it impossible for him to return to his club, but the tropical storm only formed after the striker was supposed to have returned.
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