At the other end of the line, Abdelhafid Belaïli fulminates: “Honestly, my son has become a bait for European agents.“For a month that Youcef Belaïli has been without a club, rumors abound and send the Algerian international (30 caps, 6 goals) to different clubs, in Marseille, Montpellier or Saint-Étienne. In reality, contacts are rare for the moment . “People go to clubs and make them think they’re his agent“, sighs Belaïli father, who manages the interests and the career of his son.
But Abdelhafid assures him: Youcef Belaïli only has the Africa Cup of Nations in mind, and this for the next four weeks. “He is 100% focused on the next matches and I take care of potential contacts.“This Tuesday, January 11, Youcef Belaïli will therefore be eagerly awaited for the first match in the tournament of Algeria, defending champion, against Sierra Leone (2 p.m.). Because since his return to the selection in 2018, The 29-year-old winger has established himself as one of the top names in this team, along with Riyad Mahrez.
At 30, Mahrez is the absolute star of the Algerian team, captain of the Fennecs during the CAN victory in 2019, best player in the Premier League in 2016, nominated three times for the Golden Ball and an important element of the Manchester City of Pep Guardiola. But to the left of the attack of the Algerian selection, Belaïli has established himself as the other offensive leader of this team, just as unpredictable as his teammate, almost as technically fine and more powerful.
For a month, Belaïli has never stopped talking about him. The coronation of Algeria at the Arab Cup which took place in Qatar helped a lot. Against Morocco in the quarter-finals, the Algerian winger scored a goal that went around the world and all of his performances allowed him to finish second best player in the tournament. Suddenly, emotion invaded Abdelhafid Belaïli, whose video of him in tears after this sublime achievement turned on social networks.
Youcef Belaïli’s incredible goal against Morocco yesterday in #FIFArabCup pic.twitter.com/d8tvehhZ1A
– Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) December 12, 2021
“He has become a key player in Algeria thanks to his seriousness, his fighting spirit and his love for the jersey and the country. His courage pushes him to make enormous efforts to satisfy the Algerian people.“, boasts the father. Belaïli was also talked about after the semi-final won against Qatar on December 15. In overtime, the winger gives victory to his team and celebrates his goal against the host country.
The next day, his Qatari club, Qatar SC, announced his departure. Bad timing, according to relatives of the person concerned. Youcef Belaïli does not take offense and publishes a message of thanks for the attention of the club, which explains for his part that the rupture was made amicably. An astonishing episode, like the player’s career. Because Belaïli, who will celebrate his 30th birthday in March, could have gone high. Very high even, according to his teammates and his coach.
“Belaïli is for me one of the best players on the African continent at the moment. He is impressive“, assured Farid Boulaya, teammate in selection and player of FC Metz, in November.”He has an incredible ability to eliminate but the most impressive about him is his power.“, explained Islam Slimani, top scorer in the history of the Fennecs and striker for Olympique Lyonnais, to The team in December.
“He has extraordinary talent“, added Djamel Belmadi, Algeria coach in November 2020, before qualifying:”The problem is consistency.“Despite great promises, Belaïli has never been able to break out at a very high level on the European continent. After a good start at home in Oran, successful stints at Esperance Tunis and USM Algiers and two first selections under Christian Gourcuff’s orders in 2015, Belaïli was suspended for two years for using cocaine.
“He was good morally during these two years, he was well surrounded. We trained, we played games together. So he hasn’t lost his bearings and his form“, assures Abdelhafid Belaïli. The suspension purged, the son bounces back in Angers, where Saïd Chabane particularly appreciates it.”The president liked him very much but unfortunately the coach (Stéphane Moulin, editor’s note) did not call him often“, regrets the father. In Angers, Youcef Belaïli only stays six months and only plays a small match in the Coupe de la Ligue.
“When he arrived he was just coming out of knee surgery. He never really made it back“, Stéphane Moulin explained to The team in October. New rebound for Youcef Belaïli, this time on the side of Esperance Tunis where he won the African Champions League twice in a row. His performances caught the eye of new coach Djamel Belmadi, who allowed him to wear the Algerian jersey again.
“Youcef is the coach’s favorite. He relies on him a lot, like Mahrez“Assures Abdelhafid Belaïli. And Youcef Belaïli responds present: in 2021, the winger scored three goals and delivered twelve assists in seventeen games with the Fennecs. Unpredictable, permanent danger for the opposing defenses, Belaïli will be at n ‘ in no doubt one of the men to watch this African Cup of Nations.
While the son prepares for the competition and the match against Sierra Leone on Tuesday, the father manages the demands. “We have plenty of contacts in the Gulf countries, but these are spare wheels. Youcef wants to prioritize Europe, that’s his goal“, explains Abdelhafid Belaïli, who specifies that only Saint-Étienne was interested in his son, and that”only concrete contact is in progress, with FC Basel“.
And even if “of agents want to play obstacles, they will not prevent Youcef from playing in Europe“Says the father, impatient to see his son start the competition with the Fennecs. Always with confidence and optimism. There is enough: Algeria has not lost a match since October 16, 2018 and a meeting against the Benin Just before the return to the selection of the lucky charm of the Fennecs, Youcef Belaïli.