Belgium Loses Rising Star Talbi to Morocco in National Team Tug-of-War

Revelation of the season, Talbi notably stood out in the Champions League, with a brace against Atalanta Bergamo in the play-offs. His choice to wear the jersey of the Atlas Lions rather than that of the Red Devils adds to a similar case, that of Konstantinos Karetsas. The midfielder of KRC Genk, also trained in Belgium (U15, U16, U17 and Espoirs), has recently opted for Greece.

These successive defections provoke a rather mixed reaction from the Belgian Technical Director, Vincent Mannaert. Interviewed by the Sporza website, he displays a certain annoyance. While conceding that their choice must be "respected", he mainly emphasizes the need to "learn from their disappointments". A telling formulation.

The Belgian Football Federation, through Mannaert’s voice, insists on the importance of identifying and monitoring these dual-national players, but above all of obtaining a clear answer from them before selecting them. The example of Talbi and Karetsas seems to have left its mark.

With other young talents like Rayane Bounida (courted by Morocco) and Stanis Idumbo (possibly towards France) at the crossroads, the tension is rising. Mannaert is more direct: "They were born here and were educated here in Belgium, where the clubs have invested a lot of time and energy. And if at some point they cannot choose Belgium, it is their right, but we will continue with the players who wish to do so." The message is clear: Belgium will not retain those who do not show total allegiance.

"We want to associate as many talents as possible with Belgium," Mannaert repeats, but he insists, almost dryly: "we clearly ask them to choose or not to choose Belgium." And to add, visibly exasperated by these hesitations: "For those who hesitate, I would like to advise them to make choices. If they choose Belgium, we are very happy. If they choose another country, we respect that. We will make this very clear before making a selection." A barely veiled ultimatum that reflects the exasperation of the Belgian Football Federation in the face of what it perceives as a lack of recognition.