Moroccan World Cup Star Ounahi Struggles to Impress at Marseille

Recruited by Olympique de Marseille (OM) in the winter transfer window for 8 million euros thanks to his brilliant participation in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, punctuated by a semi-final, Azzedine Ounahi has so far failed to establish himself in the Phocaean city. This raises doubts about his football talent. The Moroccan midfielder is not spared from criticism. On RMC, French-Italian sports journalist Daniel Riolo does not hesitate to attack him. "Ounahi is not strong enough. He blew us away during the World Cup, but the club football level is not the same and the match configuration is not the same. There are people who have trouble with this discourse, but he is not strong enough physically and that no longer exists in modern football," he comments. And to add: "Not realizing this is a mistake. He has really not been good since the start of the season. Since he arrived at OM, it’s the desert."

Daniel Riolo made this comment after the match between OM and Brighton on Thursday, during which Ounahi offered a mixed performance. The match ended in a victory for the Seagulls. The Brazilian striker scored the only goal of the game in the 88th minute, allowing his club to take first place, synonymous with direct qualification for the Europa League round of 16.