Karim Benzema’s £86m-a-year Saudi move turns sour as he’s given a VERY pointed nickname and deactivates Instagram, after falling out with manager, fans – and being outshone by Cristiano Ronaldo

Karim Benzema's Saudi move appears to be going from bad to worse, due to the nickname his own fans have reportedly given him.

The Real Madrid legend was one of several top European players to make the move to the Saudi Pro League this summer, joining Al-Ittihad for a fee of £86 million per year.

There were high expectations for the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner, joining a side that won the title by 22 points last season and working with two of the best Premier League midfielders of recent years, N'Golo Kante and Fabinho.

However, their 5-2 Boxing Day defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr leaves them 22 points behind leaders Al-Hilal after 18 games.

According to French publication L'Equipe, Benzema's own fans have nicknamed him 'Ben-Hazima', which translates to 'the son of defeat' in Arabic.

Benzema's Al-Ittihad are 22 points behind after their 5-2 defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo's side Al-Nassr

Al-Ittihad have suffered six defeats so far this season, four more than they managed in the entire 2022/23 campaign.

They sit sixth in the standings and have failed to win four of their last five matches in all competitions.

This has led to fans turning against Benzema, as evidenced by their cheeky nickname, as they were 'ruthless' in their criticism of the underperforming side.

There were loud boos from Al-Ittihad fans after their defeat to Al-Nassr, in a match where former team-mate Ronaldo and Sadio Mane both picked up braces.

Manager Marcelo Gallardo was criticized by Saudi experts, with analyst Hatem Khaimi stating this In essence sport: 'The exclusion and the penalty made the match one-sided, and Gallardo helped by taking Cornado off and keeping Benzema on.'

As previously reported, Benzema appeared to delete his Instagram account after the loss.

A message now appears on his Instagram account stating that the “page is unavailable” and that “the link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been deleted.”

This suggests that Benzema has deleted or temporarily suspended his Instagram account.

Fans have turned on Benzema and booed Al-Ittihad after their Boxing Day defeat

Benzema is far surpassed by former teammate Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia

A falling out with Nuno Espirito Santo (pictured) led to the now Nottingham Forest boss being sacked by Al-Ittihad, despite leading them to the Saudi Pro League title last season

Benzema has come under criticism in Saudi Arabia despite scoring nine goals and four assists in 14 games.

Last season's champions Al-Ittihad sacked their title-winning manager Nuno Espirito Santo mid-season after falling out with Benzema.

As reported by GoalThe club's fans have also accused the Frenchman of being 'lazy' and 'uncooperative' in his role in the construction of the game.

A Saudi reporter has since said talkSPORT, reported that Benzema 'makes no effort' and 'hasn't offered anything'.

Walid Al-Farraj said: “The gap between Benzema and the public is widening every day. He didn't play and never managed to make a single difference. And above all, he makes no effort, as if he is saying to the audience: 'I'm just having fun with you'.

Benzema appears to be deleting his Instagram account in the wake of Tuesday's loss

'When Ronaldo arrived in January, he showed he wanted to play, but Benzema didn't offer anything. It's like the team doesn't like him. He feels uncomfortable. I don't know the reason.'

Ronaldo, who is now approaching a year in Saudi Arabia, has surpassed the player he had a fruitful relationship with during their time together at the Santiago Bernabeu.

This season, Ronaldo has scored 23 goals and provided 11 assists in 24 games, and the Portuguese star, at the age of 38, tops the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with his tally of 19 goals.

Benzema, on the other hand, is yet to reach double figures in the Saudi Pro League and is seventh in the scoring charts – along with nine goals with a number of players including Odion Ighalo.

The Frenchman conceded a penalty during the 5-2 defeat to Al-Nassr, allowing Ronaldo to score the equalizer during the match.