Hallilovic: “I Quit Greens of Algeria Before World Cup Owing To Divergences With FAF Officials”

Former national team coach Vahid Hallilovic has blown up a heavy-weight bomb by stating that his departure from the Greens of Algeria after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was “scheduled” as he put it, even before the World Cup, stressing that his decision was due to the “deterioration” of the relationship he had with the Algerian football officials, in a tacit reference to the former president of the Algerian Football Federation, Mohamed Raouraoua, adding that such a relationship has steadily worsened since the onset of 2014.

“As a result, I didn’t intend to continue with the Algerian national football team after returning from Brazil, despite the insistence of the entire people, and the intervention of many of the athletes and politicians who wanted me to stay on,” said Hallilovic who is currently  the head coach of the Japanese national football team which he helped qualify for the 2019 world cup finals in Russia. 

Hallilovic also confirmed to the French sports site “Goal” that his decision to quit the Fennecs was irreversible. 

“I decided not to continue coaching the Algeria football team before traveling to Brazil to take part in the World Cup contest,” said the former French club player of Nantes in the 1980s, adding he had been dissatisfied with the adverse actions taken then by some FAF officials regarding the management of the Algeria line-up.

It should be noted that the crux of the “dispute” between Raouraoua  and Vahid Hallilovic stemmed from the former FAF president’s still-unexplained refusal to renew the Bosnian coach’s contract with the Algerian national football team which  wrapped up in June 2014, immediately after returning from Brazil.