– The last few days have been intense and difficult, but after long conversations with my advisors and family, we made a final decision, says Sahraoui in a press release from the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) on Friday morning.
There it was confirmed that the Lille player has chosen to opt out of national team play for Norway and will instead represent Morocco.
– We are sorry about that. We have had very good dialogue with Osame for almost a year since he debuted against Jordan last fall. We have always known that he could also represent Morocco, but we have presented to Osame what we can offer him, says Ståle Solbakken to NRK and continues:
NATIONAL TEAM COACH: Ståle Solbakken.
Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
– We have not discussed the Morocco situation, because we did not feel it was right. Morocco is a proud football nation and an attractive place.
Solbakken explains that he had a good conversation with Sahraoui last Sunday, before they intensified after Tuesday’s selection.
– At that time, there was nothing to indicate that he would choose Morocco, but there are many factors at play here, he says.
The thought had not crossed Solbakken’s mind
– Oh, that’s a huge pity. We had certainly hoped he would choose Norway, says NRK’s football expert Carl-Erik Torp.
The Norwegian-Moroccan Sahraoui has played one international match for Norway and has been called up for several squads under Ståle Solbakken – most recently when the squad for the upcoming Nations League matches was presented on Tuesday.
By then, reports had already emerged that Sahraoui would choose Morocco, and Solbakken said at Tuesday’s press conference that he had spent little time thinking about or persuading Sahraoui.
– That thought had not crossed my mind. He has been called up four or five times for us, said Solbakken on Tuesday.
– A difficult conversation
Two days later, Sahraoui informed Solbakken that after “careful considerations,” he has chosen to play for Morocco.
The upcoming national team matches are mandatory matches under FIFA and UEFA regulations. This means that players cannot switch national teams later if they play in these matches.
– Do you still stand by the decision not to give them a mandatory national team match to ensure they become Norwegian national team players?
– One hundred percent. These players are very capable and have independent opinions. They bring both brain and heart to the table. We have had open conversations with them. Nothing is left to chance. It is the country whose heart beats the strongest for them that will be decisive. We must respect that, says Norway’s national team coach.
– As a national team coach, was it not a thought that should have crossed your mind, to give them the opportunity to become Norwegian national team players?
– They have had that opportunity. We cannot, for tactical reasons, rush and pressure them into a mandatory match just to tie them for life. I cannot stand by that. We will also never speak condescendingly about another country or another culture, he says.
– It was a difficult conversation, but we have great respect for each other. I also want to thank the guys on the Norwegian national team and wish Norway good luck going forward, says Sahraoui.
The 23-year-old thus becomes the second player this week to opt out of national team play for Norway.
On Tuesday, the final confirmation came that midfielder Christos Zafeiris has chosen Greece.
FOR NORWAY: Here Osame Sahraoui was substituted in for his only international match for the Norwegian men’s national football team – against Jordan on September 7 last year.
Photo: BILDBYRÅN
– It is complicated for the Norwegian guys who have two passports from different backgrounds. Those roots run deep, and I can understand that. Internally within their families, it can mean a lot, says Torp and continues:
– There are a lot of emotions, but it can also be a cynical choice. Morocco has also participated in several championships in recent years, so it is certainly possible he will experience more with them.
In the football World Cup in Qatar, Morocco became the first African nation to reach a semifinal. They lost to France and then also lost in the bronze medal match against Croatia.
Published
30.08.2024, 10:02 AM
Updated
30.08.2024, 1:10 PM