Karim Benzema is back! Striker returns to Instagram and reiterates commitment to Saudi Arabia despite Al-Ittihad fallout

The former Real Madrid striker deleted his Instagram account after he faced heavy flak from fans following Al-Ittihad's humbling 5-2 defeat to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. However, Benzema has not stayed off social media for long as he has now restored his handle, albeit after some rigorous purging. His close to 76 million followers remain intact but has removed all-football related posts, barring his picture with the Ballon d'Or, and now follows only seven accounts - GQ Middle East, Adidas, Bugatti, Al-Ittihad, Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Real Madrid.

There has been considerable uncertainty regarding Benzema's future at Al-Ittihad amid an allegedly strained relationship with manager Marcelo Gallardo. However, the forward insisted that he has no plans of leaving the Gulf country and wants to give his all to develop the footballing landscape of Saudi Arabia to match the standards of European leagues.

In an interview with GQ Middle East, Benzema said: "[Being in Saudi] is a new challenge [and one] that I like – a long-term project and in a Muslim country. I’m not only a football player here in Saudi Arabia, I’m also an ambassador. I’m here to bring great European players in, in the near future, even if there are already great ones in the Saudi league.

"Our challenge is to raise it to the same level of the European Leagues. Time will tell [what happens next] but it will be myself who chooses when my career will end or not… Ultimately, I would like to be remembered as someone who started from the bottom and worked their way up to the top alone, and despite all the obstacles I have faced. That is something that makes me truly proud.”

Benzema had reportedly stormed out of Al-Ittihad's training on Monday after he refused to train alone and was subsequently dropped from the matchday squad against Al-Tai. It remains to be seen if he mends the fractured relationship with Gallardo and gets back to action when they take on Navbahor on February 15 in the AFC Champions League.