Mehdi Benatia has expressed his shock on the restricted recreation time Neil El Aynaoui has been afforded at , whereas revealing he tried to deliver the midfielder to Marseille earlier than the Giallorossi stepped in.
The previous Roma defender, who’s now sporting director at , was talking to La Gazzetta dello Sport in a wide-ranging interview that touched on Italian soccer and his outdated membership.
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He reserved heat phrases for his compatriot.
“He’s very robust as a result of he combines high quality and amount,” Benatia mentioned of El Aynaoui, with .
“I didn’t perceive why he performed much less at Roma than I might have anticipated. I had tried to signal him for my Marseille, however he price an excessive amount of.”
The worldwide nonetheless featured frequently within the Italian capital this season, racking up 34 appearances and contributing two objectives and two assists throughout the marketing campaign.
epa07680964 Moroccan gamers Mehdi Benatia (L) and (R) have fun after successful the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group D soccer match between Morocco and the at Salam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, 28 June 2019. EPA-EFE/GAVIN BARKER
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Former Roma man Benatia delivers heartfelt verdict on ’s World Cup absence
, who spent a number of years in Serie A, additionally turned to a topic near him: Italy’s failure to succeed in the 2026 World Cup.
“It’s an enormous loss, Italy is in my coronary heart, it gave me all the things,” he mentioned.
“Sadly the truth is that one of the best Italian attackers are inferior to the reserves in ’s attacking division. I actually hope Italy can flip issues round rapidly.”
It’s a sobering evaluation from a person who made his title in Italian soccer, and one which speaks to the broader soul-searching gripping the Azzurri as they sit out a serious event as soon as once more.