Football fans in Saudi Arabia and across Asia eagerly await the debut of French star Karim Benzema, the striker for Saudi club Al-Ittihad, in the AFC Champions League. Questions have been mounting among Al-Ittihad supporters about when the Ballon d'Or winner will participate, especially after his absence from the team's squad during the group stage of the prestigious continental tournament.
Background of Benzema's transfer and its impact on Saudi football
Karim Benzema's move to Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023 is considered one of the most significant transfers in the history of the Saudi Professional League, part of a massive sporting project aimed at raising the level of competition and attracting global attention to the Kingdom. Benzema, a Ballon d'Or winner, joined from Real Madrid, significantly boosting his new club's ambitions not only domestically but also on the continental stage. With players of Benzema's caliber, Al-Ittihad aims to reclaim its dominance in the AFC Champions League, a title it has won twice before.
Reason for absence from the group stage and date of expected participation
Karim Benzema's absence from Al-Ittihad's AFC Champions League group stage campaign stems from the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) player registration regulations. These regulations stipulate specific registration periods and often prohibit a player who has participated in a continental competition (such as the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid) from being registered directly for another club's preliminary squad in a different continental competition within the same season. Consequently, the club was unable to register Benzema for the group stage matches.
However, regulations allow clubs to update their squads before the knockout stages begin. Accordingly, Karim Benzema's debut for Al-Ittihad in the AFC Champions League is scheduled for the Round of 16, which kicks off in February 2024. This move is crucial for bolstering the team's attacking prowess in the later stages of the competition.
The importance and expected impact of Benzema's participation
The participation of a star of Benzema's caliber in the AFC Champions League represents a tremendous boost for the tournament on all levels. Domestically, it gives Al-Ittihad fans great hope of seriously competing for the continental title. Regionally and internationally, his presence enhances the tournament's marketing and media value, attracting new viewers from around the world to watch Asian football, thus contributing to raising the overall level of the competition and placing it in unprecedented global spotlight.
