The troublemaker of Algerian football has struck again. And this latest incident could well cost him his place in the Algerian national team…
Youcef Belaili (54 caps, 9 goals) is having an outstanding season statistically. With 10 goals in 13 Algerian D1 matches, the Oran native is making waves upon his return to his home country, playing for MC Alger. However, in terms of behavior, it’s a different story. The former ES Tunis player, who will turn 32 on March 14th, doesn’t seem to be calming down.
After a first outburst with the referee during the match against Constantine (2-0) for which he received a fine of 100,000 DA, the Fennec repeated the offense two weeks later, last Saturday, this time against ES Sétif (1-0 defeat), receiving two yellow cards for dissent and unsportsmanlike conduct towards the referee, followed by an obscene gesture towards the crowd, leading to a general altercation. The punishment came on Monday: the former AC Ajaccio player received a six-match suspension, two of which are suspended, as well as a fine of 100,000 DA, as stated in the LFP statement.
Boycotted by Petkovic?
Even though some voices are raised to denounce an excessive punishment, and even if MC Alger plans to appeal, Youcef Belaili is therefore at risk of not playing again before the first list of the new coach Vladimir Petkovic, for the friendly matches against Bolivia (22/03) and South Africa (26/03).
So, there’s little chance of seeing him called up with the Greens this month, especially since the new strongman of the Algerian national team emphasized discipline during his press conference on Monday, stating: “Rules must also be set that everyone must respect”. Despite a decent Africa Cup of Nations individually, unlike most of his teammates, Belaili may have missed his chance…
