Omar El Hilali: the Moroccan who said no to Barça

Espanyol’s young hope BarcelonaOmar El Hilali, of Moroccan origin, recently loudly proclaimed his attachment to the Catalan club.

In an interview given to the show “Què t’hi jugues!” » on the Cadena Ser, the 21-year-old right-back confided having rejected the advances of FC Barcelona out of loyalty to the “Pericos”. “I said no to Barça. I’ve been a Perico since I was little and this club has always attracted me,” he said. He even claimed to have received offers from Barça before joining Espanyol, then again during his transition from cadets to juniors, but that he never considered accepting them. “My heart is 100%, 1,000% Perico,” he insisted.