‘He keeps lying with it, clear enough for me’ – Ziyech finally reveals why he makes decision to quit Morocco team
Recently, Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech has announced that he won’t be playing for his country’s national team Morocco again.
However, it was claimed that Ziyech fell out with national team boss Vahid Halilhodzic last year, and a row has ensued ever since.
Halilhodzic dumped the Chelsea winger from the Morocco set-up back in September, after claiming Ziyech didn’t want to train and wrongly claimed to be injured.
Ziyech accused his country boss of lying, and subsequently, he wasn’t called up for the just concluded African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Morocco exited the tournament in the quarter-final stage, and despite their exit, Halilhodzic insisted that he won’t beg Ziyech to return, even if he was Lionel Messi.
Halilhodzic said: “After the [AFCON] tournament three years ago, he was the most criticised.”
“He was booed, you mustn’t forget that. I don’t select a player who can unbalance the group, not even if his name is Lionel Messi.
“Ziyech’s behaviour does not fit the selection. He doesn’t want to train, doesn’t want to play. He doesn’t take it seriously. I’m not going to beg him to come back.”
Meanwhile, Ziyech has insisted that he feels bad following his decision not to play for his country anymore, but won’t back down on his stance.
Asked if he felt bad after the decision, Ziyech said: “Of course, who doesn’t?
“But at the end of the day it’s the decision he makes and you have to respect it but if all the lying comes with it, it’s for me clear. Like I said before, I will not return to the national team.
“I understand [it’s bad news for Moroccan people], I feel sorry for them, that’s the situation right now.”