Former Morocco Coach Halilhodzic Bitter Over Pre-World Cup Dismissal

Vahid Halilhodzic would probably have liked to be in Walid Regragui’s place at the pinnacle of world football, he who claims to have prepared the Moroccan team for the World Cup. In an interview with the local site tportal.hr, the former coach says they took away his pride. "They took away my pride. I can’t forget that, nor forgive them. Because it should have been my farewell to a coaching career as well."

For the former coach, the tribute paid by Walid Regragui "could not heal his bitterness nor make up for what (he) missed with the tournament." Stubborn, coach Vahid did not wish to reintegrate Hakim Ziyech despite the insistence of the Moroccans and the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa. The latter later disavowed him during a radio show, stating that the Chelsea player would indeed be present in Qatar.

Last July, the Moroccan federation had terminated the contract of the Franco-Bosnian due to "differences of opinion on the preparation of the Atlas Lions."