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Fez – Vahid Halilhodzic, Morocco’s football coach, has broken his silence over the ongoing rumors of a potential dismissal and the public backlash he faced in recent weeks.
In an interview with the Croatian sports news outlet Sportske Novosti, Halilhodzic noted that he has a strong mentality that is not easily affected by circulating rumors, stressing that his record with Morocco’s Atlas Lions speaks for him.
“Do you know where I’m from? From Jablanica! And the city is best known for granite! So I was built of Jablanica granite,” the Franco-Bosnian coach stated.
He further noted that under his management Morocco’s national team sealed a ticket to the 2022 Qatar World Cup with a winning streak in the African qualifiers.
In light of these results Halilhodzic conveyed his dissatisfaction with the fierce media campaign against him, arguing that it is unjustifiable.
The Bosnian coach also dispelled rumors of a potential dismissal from the Moroccan national team following Faouzi Lekjaa’s latest statements.
Fouzi Lekjaa, the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), said that while Halilhodzic still has the support of the FRMF leadership, the Franco-Bosnian coach “is not untouchable.”
“What do I have to talk about? About qualifying for the World Cup and winning, right? I talk in the field. My results speak on my behalf, they are winning and they are the best conversations. I have nothing else to talk about,” Halilhodzic told the Croatian outlet.
Reacting to Lekjaa’s statements of the necessity to put an end to the months-long rift between the Bosnian coach and Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech and Ajax right-back Noussair Mazraoui, Halilhodzic said he no longer wishes to speak about this issue.
“I don’t even want to talk about it anymore. I dedicated myself to my team, and my group and I achieved a place in Qatar. Everything else is stories that someone imposes,” he told the Croatian outlet.
Read also: Sorry Ziyech, Mazraoui: Halilhodzic Was Never the Coach Morocco Needs
Halilhodizic has been under fire lately, especially after the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) disappointment.
Moroccan football fans have been pointing fingers at the Bosnian coach, blaming “his ill-management and stubborn nature” as the main reason for the team’s early AFCON exit.
They also blamed him for excluding some of Morocco’s most talented players such as Hakim Ziyech, Noussair Mazraoui, and Abderrazak Hamdallah.
