Karim Benzema briefly appeared to lose his temper after being substituted during Al Hilal’s opening Roshn Saudi League match against Al-Faisaly, creating the first sign of tension around the club this season before the issue was quickly settled.
Al Hilal faced newly promoted Al-Faisaly at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Friday evening in the opening round of the competition.
With 70 minutes played, head coach Simone Inzaghi decided to remove Benzema and send on Ivorian forward Mohamed Kader Meite in his place. The decision appeared to frustrate the French striker, who had started the match and scored Al Hilal’s first goal of the new campaign.
Saudi journalist Nawaf Al-Aqeel reported that Benzema reacted angrily to the substitution. Video footage showed the forward speaking to one of Inzaghi’s assistants as the change was made, suggesting that he was unhappy with the decision.
The disagreement did not last long. After the final whistle, Benzema shook hands with Inzaghi and embraced the Italian manager, bringing the brief episode to an immediate end as Al Hilal secured their first victory of the season.
Benzema had given his side the lead by converting a penalty against Al-Faisaly. His goal made him the player responsible for opening Al Hilal’s scoring account in the new campaign, while the result allowed the team to begin their league programme with a win.
The incident comes after Benzema joined Al Hilal during the previous winter transfer window. Since moving to the Saudi club, he has made 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists.
His contribution has therefore quickly established him as an important attacking figure for Al Hilal, and his involvement in the club’s first match of the season was underlined by his place in the starting line-up and his penalty in the opening round.
Although his reaction to being withdrawn briefly raised questions about his relationship with the new head coach, the post-match exchange between Benzema and Inzaghi indicated that the matter had been resolved. The handshake and embrace ensured that the opening-day controversy remained a short-lived moment rather than a lasting dispute within the team.
Al-Faisaly, who have only recently reached the Roshn Saudi League, were the first opponents of the season for Inzaghi’s Al Hilal. The match at Kingdom Arena also marked the beginning of the club’s latest campaign, with Benzema taking centre stage both for his scoring contribution and for the reaction that followed his substitution.
