Football: Laurent Blanc joins Karim Benzema and joins Al-Ittihad, in Saudi Arabia

Laurent Blanc de retour sur un banc. MAXPPP – Andrew Milligan

Sans club depuis son limogeage par Lyon en septembre 2023, Laurent Blanc va rebondir en Arabie Saoudite comme entraîneur d'Al-Ittihad et retrouvera Karim Benzema, la grande vedette de l'équipe basée à Jeddah.

Twelve years after leading him at Euro-2012 under the colors of the France team, the former coach will once again have the ex-Madrilenian under his orders.

Since this date and the elimination of the Blues in the quarter-finals against Spain (2-0), future winner of the event, Benzema has become a world star, winning five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid and the Ballon d'Or in 2022 before giving in to the lure of Saudi petrodollars last year. The career of Blanc (58 years old) on the bench was much more winding after this brief stint at the head of the Tricolores (2010-2012).

Replaced by Grosso during the season

The former defender, world champion (1998) and European champion (2000), experienced national glory but no European consecration with PSG (2013-2016) before a stint in Qatar at Al-Rayyan (between December 2020 and February 2022) and a painful experience at OL. Appointed in October 2022 by Jean-Michel Aulas, “the President” had a rather promising second half of the 2022-2023 season but paid the price for the sale of the Lyon club to American businessman John Textor.

Red lantern after four days at the start of the following season, he was relieved of his duties to be replaced by the Italian Fabio Grosso, another World Cup winner (2006).

Blanc, whose contract duration has not been specified, will therefore try to relaunch his career in Saudi Arabia with a locally prestigious club which is coming off a completely failed and rather eventful season. Champion in 2023, Al-Ittihad only finished fifth in the Saudi League this year, 42 points behind champion Al-Hilal, and did not qualify for the Asian Champions League, forcing the leaders to part ways with Argentinian coach Marcelo Gallardo, guilty of having sidelined Benzema for a time.