Younes Belhanda backs himself to play for any Ligue 1 club at 36

Morocco international Younes Belhanda believes he still has the quality to compete in France’s Ligue 1, insisting he could make an impact at any club in the division despite being 36 and currently playing in Qatar.

The midfielder made the comments during an interview with Jerome Rothen on RMC Sport’s Rothen s’enflamme, where he expressed confidence in his ability to return to the French top flight.

“In Ligue 1, I’d play, every day. At Marseille, I’d play, at Lyon, I’d play, at Lille, I’d play… I’d play at every club,” said Belhanda.

“I have the level to play in Ligue 1, not in Ligue 2.”

Belhanda’s Ligue 1 experience

Belhanda began his professional career at Montpellier HSC, where he played between 2009 and 2013 after coming through the club’s academy.

He later returned to France to represent OGC Nice during the 2016-17 season.

Across his two spells in Ligue 1, the Moroccan midfielder made 158 appearances, scoring 29 goals and providing 25 assists. He has not featured in the competition since leaving Nice in 2017.

Since then, Belhanda has played for Dynamo Kyiv, Galatasaray, Adana Demirspor, Al-Shamal SC and his current club, Al-Sailiya SC.

Moroccan midfielder still wants a Ligue 1 return

Belhanda has made seven appearances in all competitions for Al-Sailiya this season, recording one goal and three assists. His club currently sits at the bottom of the Qatar Stars League.

Despite his confidence in his ability, the former Montpellier midfielder revealed that he did not receive any offers from Ligue 1 clubs during the summer, even though he was looking for an opportunity to return to France.

The Moroccan’s comments underline his belief that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level of French football.