Karim Benzema is back at former club Real Madrid in a bid to help him get over recent injury concerns.
The legendary Frenchman, who won the 2022 Ballon d’Or, joined Al Ittihad on a lucrative three-year contract last summer, sparking a mass exodus of some of European football’s best players to the riches of the Middle East.
But Benzema’s debut campaign in Saudi Arabia has been anything but ideal. Amid rumours of a falling out with manager Marcelo Gallardo, he has struggled to stay fit and string together a consistent run of appearances – with his absence contributing to Al Ittihad’s struggles in the league.
Benzema has totalled 21 goal contributions in 29 outings – individually impressive numbers – but Al Ittihad are 30 points behind rivals Al Hilal, whose playing squad boasts the likes of Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. They also have Neymar on their books, though he has played just three games after succumbing to an ACL tear in October.
Now, in a bid to cure Benzema of his injury problems, Al Ittihad have confirmed that the 36-year-old has returned to Madrid for further treatment.
The only striker of his generation to win Ballon d’Or.
“Karim Benzema is undergoing further examinations in Real Madrid’s clinic with his former doctor in Spain, who supervised his care in previous years,” Al Ittihad wrote in a statement.
“The consultations were arranged between Ittihad’s medical teams and Real Madrid regarding Benzema’s injuries, which caused him to miss key matches this season. Benzema has already left for Spain and is expected to return next week.”
Benzema’s storied 14-year Real Madrid tenure saw him win every available honour in the game, topped off by his Ballon d’Or success in 2022. That honour was bestowed upon him after an incredible 2021/22 campaign saw score 44 goals en route to winning a La Liga, Champions League and Club World Cup treble, as well as the Pichichi Trophy (the award for most goals scored in La Liga).
He’d already won four Champions Leagues prior to those successes, including three in a row under the management of Zinedine Zidane.
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi has distanced himself from reports linking him to the soon-to-be vacant Bayern Munich job by insisting he wants to stay where he is.
The Italian's name has been circulated as Bayern look to replace Thomas Tuchel, who will leave at the end of the season after surrendering the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen.
De Zerbi has also been linked with taking over Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona having drawn praise for his side's elegant yet risky brand of football down on the south coast, and although resulst have dipped in 2024 - with Brighton struggling to balance domestic duties and injuries to key players with their exploits in the Europa League - his stock remains high.
But in an interview with Sky Sports, De Zerbi has revealed he'd like to stay put for now, detailing his affinity to his current employers.
"I would like to stay in Brighton because I love my players, I love this city, I love my club and my fans," he explained. "I said in the meeting with the fans, if I am happy there isn't a club that can bring myself to change team.
"I need to find the balance between my heart and my head. And there is a part of myself who pushes with the heart, and the other is more calm to analyse better the situation."
Brighton have slipped to 12th in the Premier League table after losing four of their last six games, while the only goal they scored in the entire month of March came courtesy of an own goal from Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.
Nevertheless, a top-half finish can still be achieved as Brighton have games in hand on the teams immediately above them in the standings. They will, however, need to get results against sides who are placed higher in the league - Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Manchester United, managed by the increasingly under pressure Erik ten Hag.
Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is in 'advanced talks' with MLS’ newest expansion club, San Diego FC, The Athletic report.
San Diego FC joins MLS for the 2025 season, and it seems Lozano could be the marquee signing that helps to usher in a new era. Lozano rejoined PSV last summer after four years at Napoli, and, barring a massive collapse and a series of unlikely events, the Eredivisie giants will lift the league title for the first time since 2017/18. Ironically, PSV last won the league in Lozano’s first stint with the club.
Aged 28, Lozano is the perfect talismanic signing for the expansion club, and he could end up being one of MLS’ most exciting signings ever alongside the likes of Carlos Vela, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and, of course, Lionel Messi.
1. Immediate Impact in MLS
BREAKING: San Diego FC are in advanced talks to sign Mexico star Chucky Lozano from PSV, per sources.
Deal not done yet. Would be around $12m fee.
Lozano, 28, is about to win the league title with PSV. Starred with them and Napoli in Europe. https://t.co/W7lptiiRfb
San Diego FC will slot into the Western Conference alongside the likes of LAFC, Seattle Sounders, LA Galaxy and more. There will be immediate comparisons made to St. Louis City S.C. who won the Western Conference in its first season as an expansion club, plus broke the record for most wins by an expansion club.
Lozano would give San Diego a credible attacking threat up top thanks to his searing pace and goal-scoring ability.
2. Following in Carlos Vela’s Footsteps
Lozano would be 29 if and when he joins San Diego, just a couple months older than when Carlos Vela first signed for LAFC. Vela set MLS ablaze for LAFC scoring 78 goals in 152 appearances and lifted the MLS Cup in 2022. Both attacking-minded wingers, Vela and Lozano have eerily similar statistics for the Mexican national team. Vela, despite being retired from international soccer, scored 19 goals in 72 appearances. Lozano is currently on 18 and 70 respectively. Plus, Lozano hopes to play a big part in Mexico’s Copa America campaign this summer.
From 2012-2018, Vela scored 54 goals in 184 appearances for Real Sociedad before moving to LAFC. In Lozano’s first stint at PSV and time at Napoli (2017-2023), Lozano had 57 goals in 180 appearances. Eerily similar.
Lozano could capture the same amount of attention if he hits the ground running for San Diego playing in the same state, and there will likely be comparisons made among the two if the move comes to fruition.
3. International Pedigree
Lozano first garnered international attention and praise during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He scored the lone goal assisted by Javier “Chicarito” Hernandez against defending champions Germany in a 1-0 group stage win. He returned the favor to Chicarito assisting the striker in a 2-1 win over South Korea. Lozano started every game of that World Cup for Mexico.
His World Cup performance, alongside his first stint at PSV, earned him a move to Napoli making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history at the time. While he didn’t have the same goal-scoring numbers in Italy, he helped to the club’s first Serie A title in 32 years.
Lozano returned to PSV last September and became the first PSV player since Mark van Bommel in 2005 to score a hat-trick against rival Ajax in a 5-2 win. Lozano also featured in PSV’s Champions League run before going out to Borussia Dortmund in the Round of 16.
While the rest of the roster is still being built, Lozano brings immediate credibility to a team that looks to have success in its debut season.
Last week: Jake Knapp won the Mexico Open at Vidanta.
Notes: The tournament again leads off the Florida swing under a new name. Cognizant takes over as title sponsor of what previously was the Honda Classic. ... Rory McIlroy is playing to beef up his pre-Masters schedule. He last played the tournament in 2018. ... Six of the seven winners on the PGA Tour this year were outside the top 50 in the world ranking. The exception was Wyndham Clark, No. 10 when he won at Pebble Beach. ... This is the last tournament for the leading top 10 in the FedEx Cup and the leading five players in “swing category” to earn a spot in Bay Hill next week. ... Since turning pro after winning The American Express, U.S. Amateur champion Nick Dunlap finished in last place at Pebble Beach and missed the cut at Riviera. He is in the field this week. ... NCAA champion Fred Biondi, who turned pro last year, received a sponsor exemption. ... The field features five of the top 25 in the world ranking.
Last week: Patty Tavatanakit won the Honda LPGA Thailand.
Notes: This is the second of three straight weeks in Asia. The HSBC Women’s World Championship dates to 2008 and typically gets a strong field. ... Jin Young Ko is going for her third straight title in Singapore. ... Lorena Ochoa set the course record of 268 in 2008, the inaugural year of the tournament. ... The field features eight of the top 10 in the women’s world ranking, missing only Nelly Korda and Charley Hull. ... Atthaya Thitikul, No. 11 in the world, has an injured left thumb and does not plan to return until the end of March. ... Former U.S. Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun is playing on a sponsor’s invitation. ... Minjee Lee is in the field, playing for the first time this year on the LPGA Tour. ... Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis has named Paula Creamer, Angela Stanford, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel as assistants for this year’s matches in Virginia.
Last tournament: Dustin Johnson won LIV Golf Las Vegas.
Notes: Brooks Koepka is going for his third straight LIV victory in Saudi Arabia. The tournament was played in the fall the last two seasons. ... Anthony Kim is expected to make his LIV debut as an individual. Kim has not competed anywhere since May 2012 at the Wells Fargo Championship. He is now 38. ... Dustin Johnson’s victory in Las Vegas makes him the first player to win in each of the three seasons of LIV Golf. Among those with a chance to match him this week are Koepka and Cameron Smith. ... Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Harold Varner III and Abraham Ancer have all won in Saudi Arabia outside the LIV Golf League. ... Jon Rahm’s new team is leading the standings after two events. ... Joaquin Niemann was the only LIV Golf player who received a special invitation to the Masters based on his European tour performances in the offseason. ... Patrick Reed is no longer among the top 100 in the world.
Last week: Darius van Driel won the Magical Kenya Open.
Notes: The tournament is co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour of South Africa. ... This is the second of three straight tournaments on the African continent. ... The field features only four players from the top 100 in the world. The highest-ranked player is Rikuya Hoshino, who is at No. 81. ... South Africa only has five players in the top 100 in the world. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who plays the PGA Tour, is the top-ranked South African at No. 59. ... Only two players from Nos. 126-200 in the FedEx Cup last year are in the field, Matthias Schwab and Jonas Blixt. Dylan Frittelli was in that category until winning earlier this year to get full European tour membership. ... Keita Nakajima, a former world No. 1 amateur, is in the field. He is eligible from winning the Japan Golf Tour money title last year. ... The tournament only became part of the European tour schedule last year.
Asian Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia: New Zealand Open, Millbrook GC (Coronet and Remarkables), Arrowtown, New Zealand. Defending champion: Brendan Jones. Online: https://asiantour.com/ and https://pga.org.au/.
