The Moroccan Football Federation has announced that it has separated “amicably” from its Franco-Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic.
This decision comes three months before the World Cup in Qatar, in which the “Atlas Lions” will participate.
The misfortunes of “Coach Vahid”, new episode. Thanked Thursday by Morocco, which he nevertheless qualified for the World Cup in Qatar, Vahid Halilhodzic suffered this kind of snub for the third time in his career, following Côte d’Ivoire and Japan.
In a statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) referred to a separation “amicably” Due to “differences of opinion (…) regarding the appropriate preparation of the Atlas Lions“for the World Cup in Qatar in three months.
Morocco, poured into group F, will face Croatia, Belgium and Canada.
The intransigence of the coach on the cases Judge Ziyech et Noussair Mazraoui was fatal to him. True to his principles, the Franco-Bosnian coach, who only wants players “who give 100% for the national team”, did not want to take over the attacking midfielder from Chelsea or the back from Ajax Amsterdam, who had in the past declined the selection.
The insistence of the President of the Federation, Fouzi Lekjaarepeating that “the doors of the national team are open to all Moroccan players, regardless of disputes“, announced the fate of Vahid.
However, he did a good job at the head of the “Lions of the Atlas”. Since his arrival in August 2019, Halilhodzic has rejuvenated the executives, with brothers Ryan (24) and Samy (25) Mmaee, Sofyan Amrabat (25), Selim Amallah (25) or Azzedine Ounahi (22) and qualified his team for Qatar. But at the African Cup of Nations, at the start of the year, the elimination in the quarter-finals once morest Egypt (2-1 ap) went badly.
Once once more, the former coach of Lille and Paris Saint-Germain must go in the middle of the ford, very close to a World Cup. A frustration he has already experienced both at the head of Côte d’Ivoire and Japan.
The previous Ivorian…
For the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he qualifies the Ivory Coast of Didier Drogba but is thanked a few months before the competition, paying the elimination in the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations once morest Algeria (3-2 a.m.).
… and Japanese
Eight years following this dismissal, he qualifies the Japanese team but is once more dismissed, just over two months before the World Cup in Russia.
His hard management, his brittle tone had offended some “Blue Samurai” too much and ended up getting tired.
And now Morocco does the same to him…
The 2014 World Cup with Algeria
Halilhodzic is a victim of his reputation and his intransigence, he who regrets not being recognized enough for a fine tactician and a hard worker, able to watch hours of matches of his opponents to prepare his plans.
In the end, at 69, he only led a World Cup at the head of a selection: it was in 2014 with Algeria, a great adventure ended in the round of 16 in a formidable match once morest Algeria. Germany (2-1 ap), future world champion. Vahid had ended in tears, this time it had been unanimous.
