Faouzi Ghoulam, the Algerian footballer, addressed the controversies surrounding his desire to leave AS Saint-Étienne for Italy. He wanted to clarify his stance and set the record straight, particularly with regards to his relations with the club president and the circumstances of his temporary exclusion from the team.
Ghoulam emphasized that despite the episode, his relations with the club president remain very good, stating, “A lot of things have been said about me… I always had a very good relationship with him. We spoke once or twice a week.”
Regarding his temporary exclusion from the group, Ghoulam played down the controversy, explaining, “It wasn’t a sidelining. As I was about to leave, it was more so as not to disturb the life of the group, its preparation. The president decided with the coach to make me available to the CFA2 (French fifth-tier) to keep up the pace with a view to a transfer.”
This clarification is intended to bring some closure to the discussions and provide Ghoulam’s perspective on the situation.
