Al-Ittihad fans launched a violent attack on Frenchman Karim Benzema, captain of the club’s first football team, after he missed a penalty kick in the match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Fayhaa, which was held yesterday evening in the city of Al-Majma’ah, and ended in a 1-1 draw in the fifth round of the Saudi Roshan League competition.
The Spanish newspaper “AS” said that Benzema turned from a hero to Al-Ittihad fans into a villain, after he missed a penalty kick in the last moments of the match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Fayha, which was enough to change the outcome of the match in his favor.
The newspaper added that Karim Benzema, who celebrated a few days ago the anniversary of his winning the Golden Ball award given to the best player in the world by the French magazine “France Football”, continued his fast from scoring, after failing to score in his team’s last three matches.
She continued: “A state of intense anger prevailed among Al-Ittihad fans after Karim Benzema missed a penalty kick, especially since it would have given the team the opportunity to advance in the Saudi League standings.”
Al-Fayhaa scored through Sakala in the 45th minute, before Ahmed Al-Ghamdi was able to equalize for Al-Ittihad in the 64th minute of the match, while Karim Benzema, captain of Al-Ittihad, missed a penalty kick in the final moments of the match.
The match is the first match for Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao, who was contracted by Al-Ittihad, succeeding Frenchman Laurent Blanc, who was dismissed after losing to Al-Nassr by two goals to none, in the match that brought them together at the “Radiant Jewel” stadium, in the fourth round of the Saudi Roshen League competition.
Al-Ittihad occupies second place in the Saudi League standings with 10 points, behind Al-Nasr, the leader, by two points, while Al-Fayhaa occupies ninth place with 8 points.
