Moroccan Star Benatia Cites Islamic Values in Move to Qatar’s Al-Duhail

The captain of the Atlas Lions does not mince his words: "I decided to be part of the Al Duhail team, I hope everyone respects my decision, because it was better for me and my family. Here in Qatar, I want my children to grow up in an Islamic atmosphere by learning religion properly." Juve accepted the transfer of the Moroccan defender in exchange for 8 million euros, plus 2 million in bonuses, after 2 and a half years in their ranks. Note that he had the possibility of joining European teams.

Regarding his future with the national team, Benatia says: Hervé Renard "knows me well and if he sees that I don’t deserve to be part of the team, I will respect that decision." This is an important issue since deliberately opting for a lower level championship (compared to the Italian Championship for example) could impact the player’s own level. But this does not seem to worry Benatia who goes so far as to consider that Al-Duhail is a very high level club. Thus, intervening on social networks, the Moroccan football star says: "I am very happy to continue my career at Al-Duhail Sports Club in the biggest club in Asia and Qatar."

Speaking about his achievements so far and his future goals, the captain of the Atlas Lions thinks big: "I have played with great teams like Bayern, Roma and Juventus and I have won many titles. Now my goals are different. The first is to win the championship with my club, then, with the recruitment of new players and the current squad, we hope to be able to win the Asian Champions League."

Mehdi Benatia will receive a salary of 4 million euros per season at Al Duhail.

Bon voyage!