France over Algeria... Maghnès Akliouche defends his choice | OneFootball

Maghnès Akliouche explains the reasons for his decision

Maghnès Akliouche/@Eurosport

Called up by Didier Deschamps for the matches against Ukraine and Iceland, Maghnès Akliouche will wear the colors of the French national team.

This decision has sparked a wave of frustration in Algeria, who had hoped to secure the Monaco midfielder. However, the 23-year-old defended his decision in an interview with L’Équipe.

"I have deep respect for Algeria, which is the country of my parents’ origin. But I did all my training with the French national teams, from the youth squads to the U21s and the Olympics. It was only natural to continue representing France," said the Monaco player.

A member of the Algerian Football Federation also responded to the call-up: "Yes, we did reach out to the player’s entourage. We spoke with members of his family, and Akliouche was aware of the national team’s interest. From there, we put no further pressure. There is no media campaign from our side. We know the player holds French sporting nationality and that his entire background is in France. We respect that. Whether it’s Akliouche or Cherki, neither player has shown any desire to join us," he noted.

This is the second player to choose France over Algeria in just a few weeks, following Rayan Cherki, the Manchester City midfielder.