World Cup 2026: Algeria dismiss focus from Austria clash as Petkovic faces fresh scrutiny

Algeria’s preparations for their decisive group-stage match against Austria have been overshadowed by reports of internal unrest, with head coach Vladimir Petkovic becoming the latest figure linked to claims of dressing-room tensions.

The Greens had regained momentum in the tournament with victory over Jordan, but attention has since shifted away from results on the pitch as speculation surrounding the national team camp continues to grow.

Reports circulating in recent days have suggested that some senior players are unhappy with Petkovic’s tactical approach and no longer fully understand his instructions.

The same reports have also raised claims of increasing player influence within the squad, while former Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard has been mentioned as a possible successor.

The allegations, first reported by Football365, remain unconfirmed.

The issue became a major talking point on Thursday evening during discussions on El Heddaf television, where former Algeria international Ali Bencheikh criticised the repeated leaks emerging while the national team is competing at the World Cup.

Rather than focusing solely on the content of the reports, Bencheikh questioned how information from inside the camp was finding its way into foreign media, particularly French outlets, instead of the Algerian press.

He also called for those responsible to be identified as quickly as possible.

According to Bencheikh, the president of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) has the means to determine the source of the information if it is indeed coming from within the national team’s delegation.

The former international went even further by arguing that, should the leaks originate from inside the squad currently based in the United States, the individual responsible should be removed immediately.

For now, there has been no confirmation of any breakdown within the Algeria camp, and the reports remain unverified.

However, with the crucial meeting against Austria approaching, the speculation has created an atmosphere of uncertainty around the national team at a key stage of the tournament.

Algeria’s immediate priority remains their final group match, but discussions surrounding the reported dressing-room leaks and the scrutiny facing Petkovic have added an unwanted distraction ahead of one of the Greens’ most important fixtures of the competition.