Why do dual national footballers choose Morocco over Europe?

More and more binational footballers are turning their backs on the European countries – Netherlands/Belgium – where they were born where they grew up and prefer Morocco. Why does this choice persist?

Many Belgian-Moroccan and Dutch-Moroccan players are not participating in Euro 2024 with the Belgian and Dutch national teams. And for good reason, they chose Morocco as their sporting nationality to the detriment of Belgium and the Netherlands. Among them are Couhaib Driouech, Dutch-Moroccan star of the Moroccan under-23 team, Adnan al-Boujoufi, who played for the Netherlands under-15, and the young Belgian-Moroccan prodigy of 13 years Ilyes Bennane, writes The new Arab. Several factors explain the interest of young Moroccans in their country of origin. “If you make the slightest mistake here, knowing that you are of Moroccan origin, you are the victim of exaggerated criticism, unlike the Dutch who have a greater margin of error,” explained Hakim Ziyech in an interview with a media outlet. In 2015, he preferred to join the Atlas Lions squad rather than play for the Netherlands. Similar situation in Belgium. In an interview with the RTBFBelgian-Moroccan Khalid Zinbi, a recruiter for Belgian youth teams, said that players of Moroccan origin are often looked down upon because they tend to be “smaller, thinner, more technical, they have a less physical appearance.” imposing” that coaches do not favor when forming a team. This is why, “many players think that there is a “football xenophobia” for this type of training – so as soon as they have a way out, the possibility of representing another country, they make this choice “, he added.