Al-Ittihad‘s 3-0 win over Al-Raed on the opening day of the Saudi Pro League has not dampened the flames that have been burning in the dressing room of the reigning Saudi league champions.
Karim Benzema‘s side, who are favorites to win the title again this season, are experiencing an internal crisis due to market instability, reports Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
As Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reports, it all started with the attempted transfer of Mohammed Al-Owais from Al-Hilal. The Saudi Arabia international goalkeeper (he was the starter in Qatar 2022) would not occupy a foreign place and would free up a place for another possible signing. The problem is that this would mean the departure of Grohe, and that clashes with what the coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, wants.
The same sources indicate that the general atmosphere at the club “is dominated by tension” due to the instability of the situation of foreign players. In addition to Grohe, others such as Coronado, Ahmed Hegazy and Romarinho, are on the brink despite their good performances in the opening game. Their departure is not out of the question and even Romarinho has stepped forward and asked to leave.
Hegazy, for example, the Egyptian center-back who suffered a knee injury, is demanding full payment of the remainder of his contract to leave the club and allow the signing of another center-back from outside the Saudi Pro League. Rumors suggested that the target was PSG captain Marquinhos.
Hegazi and Tarek Hamed are not registered, Romarinho (last season’s star player) has asked to leave, Grohe may leave… and the same goes for Coronado and Abderrazak Hamdallah. The club led by Benzema hopes to resolve everything in the coming weeks, before the end of the market in September, in order to strengthen the team.