Mohamed Ihattaren: The Moroccan voices frustration after Fortuna Sittard’s draw with Heracles

Mohamed Ihattaren criticised several of his Fortuna Sittard teammates following their 1-1 draw with Heracles Almelo, expressing disappointment over moments he felt cost the side a potential victory.

The 23-year-old midfielder, who supplied the assist for Fortuna’s goal, said his performance was overshadowed by incidents that left him infuriated.

Speaking to ESPN, he described a key moment when a rebound fell to him in the box before teammate Paul Gladon intervened.

I had a few chances, but the ball was cleared to my feet. It’s infuriating. If I’m near the box and the ball is taken from me, it’s incomprehensible, Ihattaren said, referring to Gladon clearing a ball he believed was falling perfectly for a scoring opportunity.

Despite his contribution to the team’s lone goal, Ihattaren admitted the frustration lingered.

I feel like I’m playing well, even with an assist. You want to reward that with a goal, but it annoys me, he added.

He went on to speak more broadly about the atmosphere within the squad.

In the world of football, everyone plays for themselves. It’s a tough world. It’s a real shame when people only think about themselves. It cost us three points.

The midfielder revealed that the issue was addressed internally after the match.

We talked about it in the locker room; it’s a matter of personal preference, and I’m not going to mince words. It’s a shame it turned out this way. If we take the three points here against Heracles, we’ll approach the match against Ajax with a different mindset, he said, underlining his motivation ahead of next week’s meeting with his former club.

Fortuna coach Danny Buijs echoed aspects of Ihattaren’s assessment, acknowledging that certain habits within the squad still need refining.

You have to know your own qualities and those of your teammates. These are aspects we still need to improve. Not every Fortuna player will one day join Feyenoord, Ajax, or PSV. Only a few make it, Buijs remarked.

Ihattaren’s comments add pressure on the team as they prepare for a significant clash with Ajax, a fixture that could further test both the cohesion and resilience of Fortuna Sittard’s squad.