Morocco’s World Cup Hero Regragui Sets Sights on Premier League Coaching Milestone

Becoming the first Arab-Muslim coach in the Premier League. This is what Walid Regragui aspires to. A dream he has been nurturing since the beginning of his career. "Of course, it’s an objective I’ve had since the start of my career. I’m building it slowly," Walid Regragui says in an interview with the BBC. "When will the first Arab or African coach get a job in the Premier League?" he asks, before noting that there are "people of color, but they are European." This is the case of managers Patrick Vieira and Kolo Touré, both born in Africa, who lost their jobs in the first two divisions of English football this season.

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"We’re starting to have black coaches in the Premier League and in France. Unfortunately, it’s still complicated for African coaches in Europe. There’s this lack of trust, which may be legitimate, even though I don’t agree," notes the native of Corbeil-Essonnes. "The World Cup has shown that we were capable, but we’re waiting for a club president, an owner or a manager to have the courage to give us a chance." He says he is capable of coaching at a very high level, whether in the Premier League, France or Spain.

While waiting for the realization of this dream, the coach of the Atlas Lions remains focused on the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire. "We have to be winners. That’s why I put pressure on myself to set an example by announcing that if we don’t reach the semi-finals in the next Africa Cup of Nations, I’ll resign," he said. Under Coach Vahid’s management, the Moroccan team was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2021 edition held in Cameroon by Egypt.