Bouaddi chooses Morocco and shines against Brazil: Rothen accuses Deschamps of letting a rare talent slip away

Ayyoub Bouaddi confirmed on Saturday, against Brazil (1-1), that Morocco had acquired one of the most promising midfielders of his generation — a player developed in France’s youth teams until last March.

The 18-year-old LOSC midfielder explained his choice unambiguously after his call-up by the Lions of the Atlas: “The coach and the president immediately told me to make the choice of Morocco, that it was the right choice. I made my choice and I’m very proud of it. It’s a relief.” A decision he stands by, which contrasts with the discourse held at the same time on the French side.

Didier Deschamps had indeed addressed the Bouaddi matter in March with a certain distance: “I haven’t spoken with him, that’s not how I operate. There is very strong competition, six midfielders called up. It will be his choice.” Words that upset Jérôme Rothen, for whom the French manager bears direct responsibility for this departure.

“When I hear the words of selector Didier Deschamps, it shocks me,” the pundit reacted. “Bouaddi, we didn’t need to wait and see what he did against Brazil to realize he’s a young player who was ahead of his time. At 18 years old, he has over 100 Ligue 1 matches in a team playing in the Ligue des Champions. He’s already played it with great success when he was only 17 years old.”

For Rothen, the passivity of the French management is all the less understandable given that France is precisely suffering in this area: “When you have a young player like that in the league, who has always worn the national team colors in youth football, it’s the role of the selector and the president of the Federation to pick up the phone and tell him that France is good, that we’ll continue the progression. And especially in an area where we’re struggling — it’s not like the attacking sector where the pool is abundant. When you see our midfielders and Bouaddi’s performance…”

The player himself seems to have definitively turned the page. His performance against Brazil, one of the tournament’s favorite nations, only strengthened the conviction that he made the right choice — and fueled regrets on the other side of the Mediterranean.