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Rabat – Walid Regragui, head coach of the Moroccan national football team, has strongly defended the choices made by some Moroccan footballers to transition from European clubs to teams in Gulf countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Regragui made the statement today during a press conference where he unveiled the squad list for Morocco’s upcoming matches.
The context surrounding his defense revolves around the increasing number of Moroccan players, including prominent figures like Yassine Bounou and Ghanem Saiss, who have chosen to continue their careers in Gulf leagues, sparking concerns about the impact on their performance when donning the Moroccan jersey.
During the press conference, Regragui faced the question of whether he was worried that this shift would negatively affect the performance of these players when representing the national team. In response, he challenged the widespread narrative.
“It’s not the same as a player choosing to join these leagues at the age of 20, 25, or 26,” Regragui said.
He explained that the players in question are all aged over 30, emphasizing that they have already made significant “sacrifices” earlier in their careers, especially when it comes to their commitments to the national team, and have achieved remarkable success in European football.
Read also: Bilal El Khannouss On Players Moving To the Gulf: ‘It’s A Pity’
“When they reach 32 years of age, with the end of their careers approaching, and they are faced with choices that can either secure their financial future and ensure a quality life, telling them to stay in Europe becomes somewhat challenging,” Regragui elaborated.
“They have already made sacrifices in their careers,” the coach stressed.
In addition, Regragui emphasized that as long as their performance levels remain high, these players will always be called up for the national team, regardless of which league they now play in, be it Qatari or Saudi.
Regragui further stressed that the league they play in has no bearing on their performance or their eligibility to play for Morocco.
“For me, today, the Saudi league is better than that of Belgium or the Netherlands,” he boldly claimed, challenging the perception that Gulf leagues are of lesser quality.
In this regard, he noted that some of the biggest names in football, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar have joined the Saudi League.
