Nuno Espirito Santo has been officially sacked as the manager of Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad. Rumours suggested that the manager had a falling out with Karim Benzema, with the relationship between the pair reaching a point of no return prior to the board deciding to replace him after “exchanging insults” with the player.

Benzema was signed this summer after the club offered him a record deal, which saw him leave Real Madrid. His deal is worth around €200 million per season, making him the second best paid player in the world. And the board was not ready to part ways with him this early, after such a major investment.

Santo spent only one season in charge, helping the team win the 22/23 Saudi Pro League title.

Nuno Espirito Santo sacked by Al Ittihad after Benzema rift

The discord between Santo and Benzema was reportedly due to a tactical issue, with the lack of positive results also playing a part. The team is currently sixth in the table with 21 points from 12 games, 11 points behind current league leaders Al Hilal.

In the 10 games that he has played, the striker has scored five times and assisted three goals in the process. However, that has not been enough to help them earn the points to launch a convincing title defence.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s dismissal comes only a month before the Saudi Pro League champions compete in the FIFA Club World Cup in December. It now remains to be seen who takes charge of the team with an important month coming up ahead for them.