Midfielder Sofiane Amrabat announced that he is not ready to represent the Moroccan national team with the start of the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers this month, stressing that he will not play under the leadership of current coach Mohamed Wehbe, but he has not retired from international football.
Amrabat refused to reveal the reasons for his decision, but he suffered from a lack of participation in the recent World Cup, which was held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He started only one match out of six played by the Moroccan national team, which was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to France.
The appearance of Ayoub Bouadi, the Manchester City midfielder, contributed to reducing the chances of Amrabat participating.
Amrabat said on Instagram: “This was a very difficult decision, but I do not feel that I am able to continue representing the national team under the leadership of the current coach; “So I put myself outside the scope of choice as long as he takes charge.”
He added: “Out of respect for the national team and everyone associated with it, I prefer to keep the reasons for this decision to myself. I would like to make one thing clear: I have not retired from international football, and I am not closing the door on representing Morocco again.”
Amrabat, who was born in the Netherlands and recently joined Ajax Amsterdam, was one of the main pillars of the Moroccan national team that reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup under the leadership of former coach Walid Regragui, who was succeeded by Wehbe last March.
The 30-year-old player said that he will remain the "number one fan" of the team that will begin its journey towards the African Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in June and July of next year.
Morocco will host Gabon in its first match in Group A on September 25, before facing Lesotho in Bloemfontein, South Africa, four days later.
Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola believes that his first match as coach in the Champions League at home to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday will give a good indication of the level of his team.
The first victory this season, Friday, over newly promoted Ipswich cannot be considered a true measure of the extent to which the team has adapted to the change in the style of play adopted by the Basque coach since he took over from Ernie Slott in the summer.
This match will also be a test of the capabilities of Iraola himself; He had never trained at this level, as he participated in only three matches in the most important European club championship as a player with Athletic Bilbao.
Liverpool faced Atletico at home in the opening of the Champions League last season, achieving its third successive victory over coach Diego Simeone's team, where Virgil van Dijk's stoppage-time goal decided the win, after Liverpool had surrendered a two-0 lead.
"It's definitely a special night for me, everyone talks about Champions League nights at Anfield," Iraola said.
He continued in statements reported by the British news agency, PA Media: “It is a great responsibility and a tremendous challenge, but I feel proud to be on the field on match day.”
He concluded by saying: “It is a real test for the team as a whole, and I think it will show us a little where we are.”
Xabi Alonso, coach of the English football team, Chelsea, confirmed that defender Levi Colville is ready to participate against Leeds United, on Wednesday, in the third round of the English Football League Cup, while four players continue to be absent from the team’s ranks.
Chelsea suffered its first defeat this season when it lost to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but it will get a quick opportunity to return to the path of victories when it hosts Leeds at Stamford Bridge, in search of a ticket to qualify for the fourth round.
Colville was on the substitutes list in the Arsenal match, but did not participate due to a physical problem, before Alonso confirmed his readiness to play against Leeds, in a match of special importance between the two teams.
On the other hand, Alonso will not be able to rely on Moises Caicedo and Marco Balestra, as the Spanish coach confirmed that the duo is not yet ready to participate, indicating that he does not want to risk accelerating their return.
“They are still not ready, and this is not the right time to risk their early return,” Alonso said in a press conference on Tuesday. “We will deal with the matter gradually, but it is still early.”
Alonso also confirmed the continued absence of newcomers Emmanuel Imaiga and Jordan Henderson, expressing his frustration at Palestra's inability to participate in the team's first matches this season, especially after the level the Italian player presented during the preparation period.
“It's especially frustrating for him,” Alonso said of Palestra. He came with great energy and a great desire to enjoy his experience in the English Premier League. He had a very good pre-season, but he suffered an injury a few days before our first match against Fulham.”
Chelsea's official website quoted Alonso as saying: “This is the nature of a footballer's life, to come back after an injury, and we will definitely need him.” He has great potential and will add a lot of good qualities that we need in the team.”
