Former Algerian football star Belloumi honoured by Echourouk

Lakhdar Belloumi at Echorouk's headoffice

The former Algerian football star Lakhdar Belloumi was given the highest distinction by the Echourouk newspaper’s publisher Ali Fodil. One of the most gifted football players Algeria ever produced declared that he was unable to express his happiness to this homage and will keep it alive in his memory for ever.

• Lakhdar Belloumi: “It’s a memorable day since it comes from a newspaper that I respect a lot because it has supported me during my arrest by the INTERPOL
• in the fabricated case of the Egyptian doctor, for that purpose I seize this opportunity to express again all my gratitude to the newspaper staff and the general manager on top of them.”
• Ali Fodil (Echorouk's publisher): for his part the newspaper’s boss said” Belloumi is a star who gave too much to the Algerian football along with the golden generation who honoured the country in the international arena, he’s a model for the young generation that’s why we decided to honor him with this plain distinction as part of our own participation into the development of the Algerian sport in general.”

• This is what really happened with the Egyptian doctor
• The football star went on with his own version concerning the allegations that he put out the Egyptian squad doctor’s eye during the 1989 world cup qualifiers in Cairo saying that he was at that moment in his room at the sixth floor while skirmishes occurred in the hotel’s lobby and the Egyptians can sustain my arguments. I have already given my version of the facts and proved my innocence; I’m not going to pay for something I didn’t commit adding “Actually, the case is about to be settled, and I’m very confident as to my clearing of all charges.”
• The Algerian squad can win their tickets for the next round, but we do not possess good players
• Lakhdar Belloumi, said that the Algerian squad do not have players who can compete against other African nations, because most of them are playing in small clubs with the exception of Karim Ziani ( OM Marseille), this generation of players is weak but they are very likely to qualify for the next round.
• He somehow criticized the head coach attitude when this one declared that he was about to step down before an important match, Beloumi added that Rabah Saadane did a strategic mistake during the match against the Senegalese side when this one substituted the best player Yacine bezzaz by a defender while he had to replace him with a fresher striker.
• Madjer is a model to follow    
• Belloumi paid tribute to his former team mate and former Porto star, Rabah Madjer saying that he is a model, but it would have been better to draw benefit from his large experience in his home country, adding that he would voluntarily come back to the Algerian squad because it has to do with serving the interest of the nation.