Rabat – French football analyst Dave Appadoo has expressed disappointment over France’s failure to convince Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi to represent Les Bleus, describing the situation as a potential “real failure” for French football.
His comments followed Bouaddi’s impressive performance for Manchester City against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the second round of the UEFA Champions League league phase yesterday.
Despite Manchester City’s 4-2 defeat, the Moroccan international caught Appadoo’s attention after coming off the bench and contributing to his team’s attacking performance.
Speaking during the match’s post-game analysis, Appadoo highlighted the midfielder’s immediate impact on Manchester City’s midfield.
“There was one player who really stood out, and he was on Manchester City’s side: Bouaddi. When he came onto the pitch, and since we were talking about midfield, he completely changed the way Manchester City played,” Appadoo said on L’Équipe du Soir, a French sports talk show broadcast on the L’Équipe TV channel.
The French analyst acknowledged that the match had become more open during the second half, admitting that Bouaddi’s presence changed the game entirely.
“Some might say he came on when the game had already reached the second half and things were more open, but what he produced was incredible. Personally, I would already give him an 8/10 for his second-half performance,” he added.
Appado went further, saying that City’s number 6 has the potential to be a regular starter with the team.
“I feel this player can reach a very high level because, in my opinion, he has already secured his place in Manchester City’s starting lineup,” he expressed.
Not convincing him… A real failure
Bouaddi’s impressive performance against PSG yesterday raised the familiar question of France’s inability to convince the young midfielder to join the senior team, especially after his experience representing France at youth levels.
The French analyst argued that Bouaddi’s qualities could have made him an important player in Zinedine Zidane’s national team football project.
“When you see that he is already starting for a strong national team like Morocco, you cannot help but think, considering the project Zinedine Zidane is building, that French football’s failure to convince him to join the French national team project could be a real failure,” Appadoo acknowledged during the show.
He also admitted that Bouaddi’s decision benefits Morocco, which has added another promising talent for its national team.
“This obviously benefits Morocco, but you have to wonder: this player, who came through all the French youth national teams and seems perfectly suited to the type of football Zidane is looking for, do we have a similar player in France at the same level?” he questioned.
Appadoo concluded by warning that France might reconsider the significance of Bouaddi’s decision in the coming years.
“We may look back on this in a few years because Bouaddi might have been the right player for Zidane’s project,” he added.
Bouaddi entered the match yesterday at the 46th minute, right after the start of the second half, to replace Man City’s number 10, Rayan Cherki. The Moroccan midfielder contributed one assist to Erling Haaland in the 75th minute to make the second and final goal of the game. He also recorded 8 ball recoveries, the highest score in the match, alongside Vitinha. His pass accuracy had reached 95% with 37/39 completed passes.
This incredible performance has gained him increased attention from all over Europe. It is worth noting that the Moroccan midfielder is on the shortlist for the 2026 Golden Boy Award, the prize that recognizes leading young footballers playing in Europe.
