Schalke 04 Demotes Moroccan Defender Mendyl to U23 Squad Amid Performance Concerns

Engaged since the summer of 2018 with the German team of Schalke 04, coming from Lille OSC, and with a contract running until 2023, the young Moroccan player (also having Ivorian nationality) Hamza Mendyl is not really shining in the Bundesliga. To the point that he has just been excluded from the first team.

Regarding the reasons, the German media Bild writes: "Hamza Mendyl (21 years old), who came last summer for seven million euros from Lille to Schalke, is now training with the under-23s (…). Regarding the causes of this decision, nothing is known so far. However, it is not excluded that the reasons are purely sporting. Mendyl has not been able to convince with his performances since the summer." Mendyl indeed participated, this Tuesday, in the training of the reserve team.

It should be noted that Hamza Mendyl was called up by Hervé Renard for the World Cup in Russia but that he is one of only two players not to have played any minutes during this competition, the other being Youssef Aït Bennasser.