Ouahbi accepts Ebnoutalib’s Germany decision but reminds him Morocco acted first

Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi has accepted Younes Ebnoutalib’s decision to represent Germany, while making clear that the striker had been monitored by the Atlas Lions long before the Mannschaft made its move.

The international tug-of-war over Ebnoutalib has now been settled. The Eintracht Frankfurt forward was included in both squads announced by Jurgen Klopp for his first international break as Germany manager, offering a strong indication of where his allegiance lay.

Klopp later said he had spoken to all of his players and that they were “proud to represent Germany”. Ouahbi has now confirmed that Morocco has moved on from the matter.

The Moroccan manager also rejected suggestions that Ebnoutalib had been overlooked before making his breakthrough at Eintracht Frankfurt.

“He was in the preliminary squad for May,” Ouahbi said.

At the time, Ebnoutalib had only recently arrived at Frankfurt, having joined the club in January, and had been affected by several injuries. He was also coming from a lower level, while his limited playing time made a place at the World Cup difficult to justify.

“He had played only 136 or 139 minutes,” according to the figures cited by Ouahbi, who said selecting him for the tournament would have been premature.

Ouahbi then underlined Morocco’s early interest in the player.

“He had been in our preliminary squads for a year. I do not think that was the case with Germany.”

The comment was a reminder that the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football had been following Ebnoutalib before Germany’s interest became serious.

Ouahbi said he had also been directly involved in attempts to convince the forward to choose Morocco.

“We went to see him and scouted him. I had a telephone conversation with him and explained the project without promising anything,” he said.

Ebnoutalib’s situation changed after the World Cup. His excellent start to the season with Eintracht Frankfurt made him a more obvious candidate for the Atlas Lions, and Ouahbi acknowledged that he had planned to select him for the current international break.

Germany, however, acted during that period. Klopp’s arrival, the rebuilding of the Mannschaft following a disappointing World Cup and Ebnoutalib’s performances combined to create an opportunity which Germany took.

“He deserved to be called up and he would have been called up today, I do not hide that,” Ouahbi said. “But he chose Germany. Good luck to him. The matter is closed.”

He added: “Morocco is not negotiated; it is earned.”

The decision represents a setback for the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football, which has won a number of high-profile decisions involving dual-national players in recent years. Ouahbi, though, insisted it would not become a major issue.

“We are sixth in the world rankings and we are moving forward,” he said.

Morocco can also point to six new additions in the latest squad, including Abdellah Ouazane. The Federation Royale Marocaine de Football has secured the international future of another highly rated dual-national talent, this time with the Atlas Lions.