After the chapter of Djamel Belmadi came to a close, pending the administrative procedures for terminating his contract, the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) is on a fast track to appoint a new coach for the national team.
The initial attempt involved discussions with the coach of the French women’s national team, Hervé Renard, who emerged as the top candidate to succeed Belmadi.
However, the French Football Federation refused to release him, definitively closing the chapter on the former Zambia national team coach, who had set a meeting date with the Algerian officials after the Paris Olympics.
Yet, this possibility seems increasingly unlikely, given the challenging tasks awaiting the national team before that date.
Following this, the Algerian federation tried negotiating with Zinedine Zidane. Still, the French coach rejected the offer, with his lawyer confirming that he is on the verge of an agreement with a European club, potentially Liverpool.
Today, Friday, an official direct contact was made between the FAF president and the Bosnian Vahid Halilhodžić.
Halilhodžić requested time to consider the offer after thoroughly listening to Walid Sadi, the Algerian football strategist.
The response is expected in the coming days.
In the eleventh hour, another coach entered the scene, Bosnian Vladimir Petković, also holding Swiss and Croatian citizenship. Petković, known for coaching the Swiss national team in 78 full matches and achieving significant success, including leading Lazio in the Italian league, poses an intriguing option.
While Walid Sadi is intrigued by his sports project, language presents a hurdle, as Petković, despite having taken French lessons, faced communication challenges during his tenure at Bordeaux in France.
Sadi will have a phone call with him tonight, and if it proves he needs a translator, Petković might be dropped, even though financial terms are not a hindrance, as his salary won’t exceed half of what Belmadi earned.
The Algerian Football Federation faces a challenging task in appointing a new coach for the national team, especially after the departure of Djamel Belmadi, who achieved remarkable results with the Greens.
The difficulty lies in finding the right profile that suits the Algerian team, and convincing the Algerian public.
Moreover, the recent surge in interference and distractions surrounding FAF President’s work has added complexity to the situation.
Sadi is hoping that these interferences cease, allowing for a swift agreement with one of the coaches and paving the way for the new national team coach to begin rebuilding and initiating a real revolution on all fronts, aiming to elevate the national team to new heights.
The resolution of these matters is expected shortly.
