Ali Ahamada’s fall from grace at Toulouse FC has been tied directly to his contract situation, according to the goalkeeper himself in an interview with L’Équipe. Once the club’s undisputed No. 1, Ahamada now finds himself demoted to third-choice goalkeeper—a steep decline for a player who once carried high expectations.
In the interview, Ahamada suggests that his refusal to extend his contract triggered the club’s decision to sideline him. He points to the arrival of Zacharie Boucher as the turning point:
“As soon as Zac (Boucher) arrived, I was sidelined the following weekend. I was taken out of the group, supposedly so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. So as not to disturb, basically.”
Ahamada also describes the difficult contract talks with Toulouse, where he felt the club used leverage tactics to pressure him into agreeing on their terms:
“In discussions, you never directly say what you hope for, otherwise you know very well that the club will negotiate downwards. It was a way to be able to discuss. But they were stubborn. They said to me: ‘Who do you think you are? That’s how it is and no other way.’”
The situation highlights a common tension in professional football: players balancing career progression and financial security against club control and contractual leverage. For Ahamada, that tension has cost him his place on the pitch—at least for now.
