José Mourinho “Punishes” Houssem Aouar On AFCON’s Eve
Algerian international Houssem Aouar did not play the last four matches of his team, AS Roma, in the Italian championship.
Houssem Aouar no longer plays for AS Rome. José Mourinho has categorically ruled out the Algerian midfielder, leaving him on the bench in the last league clash against Fiorentina (1-1) on Sunday evening for the 15th round of the Italian Championship. Since November 5, Houssem Aouar has not played in Serie A with no minutes of play to his credit, casting doubt on possible upheavals to come in January.
Before that, the negative scenario was repeated with the Algerian international, in his club’s confrontations with Lazio, Udinese and Sassuolo.
According to the Italian website, FantaMaster, the former Olympique Lyonnais player could well choose to throw in the towel and request a transfer as early as January. This spectacular upheaval could occur in the coming weeks. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Aouar is also expected to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria, which could delay his farewell until the end of January.
Aouar fell out of the tactical calculations of his coach, José Mourinho, who did not allow him to play these four matches, except in the two European League matches against the Czech club Slavia Prague and the Swiss club Servette FC.
This “punishment” for tactical reasons raises questions about Houssem Aouar’s physical fitness and technical level in the Africa Cup of Nations finals, which will begin in Ivory Coast a month from now.
However, confirmation cannot be ruled out: Aouar could decide to redouble his efforts to convince Mourinho to change his mind and re-establish the hierarchy. At AS Roma, the matter has become a very real concern and the club could act on the market as early as January, especially since the situation of Renato Sanches must be taken into account.
Aouar’s situation worries Belmadi and observers are waiting for the next day of Serie A to find out more about Mourinho’s intentions towards the Algerian international. Aouar could take advantage of the absences in the Roman squad to play the match against Bologna. However, the situation remains uncertain: will Mourinho try to revive the Algerian midfielder or will he dismiss him once again?
A few weeks before the start of AFCON 2024, the player’s situation worries the staff of the Algerian team led by Djamel Belmadi. This terrible situation raises questions for Aouar’s future within AS Roma. The next few weeks will be decisive in knowing whether the player will choose to continue his path with the Italian club or whether he will opt for a new club in his career.
If we know that the date of January 3, 2024, is the last deadline set by the CAF to receive the lists of players for the AFCON teams. Until that station, Houssem Aouar and his AS Roma club are waiting for 5 matches, in the Italian Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Europa League.
