“In Morocco, the fruits of what we built ten years ago are being obtained”

Four years ago, at Russia 2018, Morocco returned to a world Cup after 20 years. A country where football is breathed in every corner hit its return to the world football elite. He did it hand in hand with coach Hervé Renard (current technical director of Saudi Arabia), who had Patrice Beaumelle as his right hand. Total Sport made contact with the French strategist, who was on Moroccan lands between 2016 and 2020. Without a doubt, one of the men who best knows this group that will play against France for their pass to the final of Qatar 2022.

—Are you surprised by Morocco’s participation in Qatar 2022?

No, I can’t say that I’m surprised by the performance of the Moroccan team, because I think it was a long process. This generation is working for more than 10 years. Only a work of this length can achieve those goals. It doesn’t surprise me because I know all the players who are participating in this tournament. I know what they are capable of, their dedication and commitment in each match.

—Did you trust that this team could make this great leap internationally?

Definitely. For six years the team has been improving more and more in the FIFA ranking. Morocco has worked very hard and the goal was to be among the top 10 in the world.

—Do you think that this success began with you and Hervé Renard on the bench? What did they add to this team?

Yes, it is part of the work that we started a while ago, when we arrived in 2016. We worked on the strong base of the team that had experienced footballers and we began to add the youngsters who were already ready like Hakimi, En-Nesyri, Boufal, Amrabat , among others. They had enormous potential.

—What factors do you think have been vital for Morocco to be in the semifinals?

What I take away is that despite the good results they were getting, even more so with Croatia and Belgium, the team always remained humble. They did not allow themselves to be dizzy, nor did they finish as the first in their group.

—How did the process of summoning players who were born in other countries take place? Was it done with a scouting team?

The Moroccan Federation is very well organized and very professional. They know they have a great opportunity to have foreign-born players ready to don the national jersey. What I liked when I was coaching this team is that we used to have six, seven and even eight players from different nations like France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy. They have scouts who live outside the country -mostly in Europe- and work for the national team, bringing players born abroad with dual nationality. They are doing an excellent job.

—How is the experience of training a team with so many players who come from different parts of the world with different styles of play?

I saw it as a great opportunity. He was always giving instructions during the training session, be it in French, English or Spanish. In the end they all come to represent a country and a flag. That is very strong.

—Is it difficult to convince players who were born in other countries to play for Morocco?

I have a lot of experience working with a different national team and it has always been very easy for me. The player has to feel it in his heart. Parents also help a lot in this decision. I remember very much the case of Sofiane Boufal. He could have played for France. We talked in 2016 and he told me: “my mother is from Morocco and I will definitely play with this team”. Today when I see his mother in Qatar, dancing on the court, I find it very moving. There are other examples like Hakimi who was able to wear the Spain shirt. When we chatted he affirmed that his blood was Moroccan and he would play for the national team.

—Do you think that this is only the beginning of what Morocco can give worldwide? Can all the good they have done in Qatar 2022 be sustained?

Today the fruits of what we built ten years ago are obtained. Whatever the result against France, the important thing is that they keep working with a vision and philosophy. If they stop to think about all the good they have achieved, it would not be ideal. Today we see that all teams are competitive. We already saw it with Japan and South Korea.

—In the Moroccan team, is there a job for training football? Do you worry about the future promises of Moroccan football?

When I worked in Morocco it was fantastic. Everything was very well organized. One of the main goals was to achieve the development of the lower divisions. It is a priority that they have from the federation.

—You had the opportunity to face the French team this year with Ivory Coast as DT, do you think Morocco can beat them and win the world title?

It was a fantastic opportunity to face the world champion. Morocco is in the semifinal and everything is possible. They are playing good football. On the other hand, speaking of the title, all the teams in the semifinals start with a 25% chance.