The head coach of the Atlas Lions of Morocco, Walid Regragui, has opened up about the huge challenges he faces leading the national team.
In an interview with French sports outlet Onze Mondial, Regragui admitted that juggling a squad packed with prolific players from all over the globe isn’t easy, but he insisted their cultural mix is also what makes them special.
“Morocco is a unique team. People can talk and criticize, but the truth is, Morocco is the hardest team to manage in the world,” he declared.
Regragui revealed he speaks Moroccan Darija with the players, even though he isn’t perfect at it. He believes this helps build trust before switching to translators or other ways to get his message across.
The coach didn’t hold back when talking about the team’s crazy mix of backgrounds: “We’ve got Moroccans from everywhere. Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy — and now we’re even seeing players from England. We even have a Sahrawi from Norway. It’s an amazing strength, but it means everyone comes with their own culture,” Regragui said.
Despite the challenges, he made it clear that playing for Morocco is top priority.
“The core is Moroccan, but they grew up differently. A Spaniard isn’t the same as a Frenchman, and a Frenchman isn’t the same as a Dutch player. But my job is to make them understand that Morocco comes first — they are here to fight for the national team,” he said.
Regragui also revealed he tailors his communication to each player’s culture, tweaking his approach depending on whether he’s talking to a French-Moroccan, a German-Moroccan, or a Spanish – Moroccan.
“The way you talk to a French player isn’t the same as with a Spanish or German-Moroccan player. But what unites them all is their love for Morocco, their families, and their roots,” he said.
Morocco gears up for two World Cup qualifiers next month against Niger and Tanzania. Walid would be looking to fine-tune his tactics and make some personnel changes to give more international players a chance to don the Moroccan jersey.
