Jota ditched by ally as Celtic hero watches Karim Benzema attempt to silence Ittihad support amid Nuno rage

Misfit Jota appears to have lost a key ally as Karim Benzema moved to silence the Al-Ittihad supporters that are booing under-fire boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Former Real Madrid striker Benzema struck up a bromance with Portuguese winger behind the scenes in the Middle East shortly after the duo arrived in the Saudi Pro League - but the Ballon d'Or winner appears to have swerved the friendship as he rallied alongside former Tottenham and Wolves boss Nuno. Tensions are rising between the boss and supporter - with the Jota transfer farce at the centre of the criticism.

With only eight foreign players allowed in each group for domestic league matcheS, the former Celtic star was removed from the squad. But he impressed during the AFC Champions League win over Al-Wahda - with and the decision from Nuno to substitute the winger was booed by the raging Ittihad support during a rare appearance for the 24-year-old.

Things have only continued to spiral at Ittihad with the club on the brink of a crisis following the 2-2 draw with struggling Al-Hazm. The defending Saudi champions dropped to sixth in the table - with fans chanting for their Portuguese boss to be shown the door following the result.

Speaking to the Saudi media, Benzema has attempted to quell the anger that is spilling from the stands over Jota and lacklustre results. The 35-year-old said: "We ask the fans for support and support in order to return again to victories.

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