Mourad Meghni chosen as Echorouk’s ambassador of sport spirit

Shy player Mourad Meghni was chosen as Echorouk’s ambassador for sport spirit Sunday. He talked about the difficult days he passed through after he had lost his World Cup dream. Yet, he is still hoping to reach the next World Cup 2014 due to be held in Brazil.

• Lazio’s player also talked about Algeria’s participation in the World Cup, describing the next qualifications as “difficult” along with the forthcoming match against Morocco.
• In more than one hour with Echorouk’s reporters, Meghni talked about the Algerian team and his future between the African Cup and the new talents he was impressed by including Halliche, Kadir, Mbolhi and Boudebouz.

• “I run the risk in Africa and I paid the price in World Cup”

• Echorouk’s staff seized the opportunity of Meghni’s presence to ask him to tell them about his injury. “I will tell you about the injury and what happened during that difficult period before the World Cup. I let you know that I was injured before the African Cup’s finals. I joined the Algerian team in their training while I was injured. I tried to go under treatment as I thought I might play in the African Cup and support the national team. Doctors do their best in treating me. 
• Medical staff did not want me to play in Angola

• Meghni said he went with the team to Angola and he had to undergo very sensitive tests. “Though the team’s medical staff did not want me to participate in the competition because of the injury, I played and showed a good performance.”
• He added that his injury needed intensive treatment and recovery was not possible before the World Cup. “At that moment, I realised that things need more seriousness. I went to Saint Rafael clinic and then I moved to Aspetar hospital in Doha. Though many treatment attempts, there was no satisfying result. Unfortunately, the surgery was obligatory. The medical staff was convinced that my participation in the World Cup will make me more suffering. Because of that, I did not play for the national team.
• Big shock

• Meghni admitted that his absence in the World Cup was a big shock but he tried to accept it. “I had no other choice than accepting and undergoing the surgery. I wanted to play in the World Cup because is the biggest football competition in the world. It is very difficult to accept to be absent in it.”
• Meghni is still under treatment and he will resume running after two months. “Then, I will be able to come back competition though I still suffer from some pains but they will go away by time,” he said.
• Algeria stood by my side and I promise to do many things in future
• Meghni said he will not forget about the solidarity the Algerian people showed to him. “I know that they were very affected and I promise to show a strong performance in the continental competition qualifications due to start in September.”
• “Happy that Saadane will stay with us”
• Meghni believes that the decision to maintain Rabah Saadane as Algeria coach is positive and it is good for the national team which needs stability from all the aspects. “I think the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) was right in making this decision. That will be very useful so that the national team will be stable.”
• “As far as I am concerned, I am very happy that Saadane will stay with us”
• Meghni said the decision was expected and “it is totally logic in view of Saadane’s performance. I think he should stay with the team to continue the job he started with them.”
• He believes that Meghni has a comprehensive idea about all the players in the national team. “The national coach knows all the players’ capacities and he is very aware of his job. Because of that, keeping him as coach will have a positive impact on the team.”
• He did not make any comment about the possibility of making slight changes to the team’s technical staff. “It is the FAF’s business.”
• He believes that bringing a new coach may have a negative impact “even if he is a big coach.”
• “Algeria’s strikers did not find any support in World Cup”
• Meghni said the national team do not enjoy striking spirit and the players are not efficient. “Because of that, the players could not make better results than those they did in the World Cup.”
• “Our strikers were isolated” 
• Meghni said the problem is not in the strikers neither in the technical staff’s plan. “I believe that the team did not score any goal because the players were isolated.”
• “Our level is improving and we will be stronger in future”
• “We know now that we are strong in defence and the mid-field. We are optimistic about the level improvement in future. Most of the players are young and they are capable of facing challenges.”
• “We were able to score but…”
• Meghni believes that the national team were able to score many goals in the three matches they played in the World Cup. “Yet, relying on strikers to make the difference prevented the players from that. We can be more efficient in future and we are optimistic about going forward.”
• Lazio Roma’s mid-fielder said some new players showed that they deserved to play for the national team. “Their participation in the World Cup was efficient.”
• “Lahcen impressed me and his way of playing suits me”

• Speaking about the new players, Meghni said Lahcen Medhi had showed big capacities since the first minute he played for the national team. “Everyone saw how Lahcen managed to restore stability to the mid-field line. He is a great player and I like his way of playing as it is the way I prefer to play as well.”
• “Kadir and the rest of the new players augur well”
• Meghni said Kedir was equal to his job. Boudebbouz and Mbolhi showed that they deserve to play for the national team. “I can not judge the other new players because they did not have the opportunity to play.”
• “Halliche was awesome”
• Echorouk’s ambassador said he liked Halliche’s level. “Halliche plays with a permanent level in almost all his matches. Lahcen impressed me but Halliche drew my attention and the attention of many observers. He showed big capacities we knew them before.”
• “I start thinking about Brazil’s World Cup”
• Meghni admitted that he was wrong for not undergo the surgery in advance but he believes in destiny. “We have to forget about the past and think about future. The World Cup is over and I should start thinking about the next World Cup due to be held in Brazil. I hope that we will qualify and we will be equal to our job.”
• “We played to avoid defeat”
• Meghni said the national team did not run the risk in the World Cup. “They entered to avoid defeat what ever the opponent was strong.”
• “If we run the risk in striking, we may have made better results,” he said.
• He added that the national team were homogenous in defence and mid-field while the striking line was not working at all. “We played with one striker only.”
• Echorouk’s publisher: “Welcome to our sport spirit ambassador”
• Echorouk’s publisher Ali Fodil welcomed Meghni as sport spirit ambassador. “He will be with us as his team mate Karim Matmour,” he said.
• “Echorouk is going forward to spread tolerance and sport spirit values from its pioneering position,” he added.
• He described Meghni as the calm player, saying he is known for his good behaviour on the pitch and outside.
• “Because of the bad conditions of the Algerian football along with the spread of violence in stadiums, the role of Matmour and the national team’s stars is very big to fight the phenomenon and help our young men to have sport spirit.”
• Meghni: Happy to join Echorouk
• Meghni said he was very happy for joining Echorouk as it is the daily newspaper No 1 in Algeria. “As a player in the national team, I am proud of that and I will start working for constructive good endeavours. I hope to be the best ambassador of the newspaper.” 
• Meghni takes picture with handicapped people and brings joy to them
• Echorouk has chosen Mourad Meghni to be sport spirit ambassador. It was a big surprise that the newspaper was receiving the player while a group of handicapped people were visiting it. Meghni wanted to take picture with Echorouk’s guests who could not express themselves as they were very surprised.
• As Echorouk committed to stand by needy and handicapped people, this event will open a new page to spread those good noble endeavours.
• This is just the beginning. The future will be bigger and the fruit of such initiatives will be shown better and bigger. Meghni and Karim Matmour will be the pioneers of any serious endeavour meant to reinforce brotherhood ties among the Algerian people.
• Meghni, Echorouk’s sport spirit ambassador

• After Karim Matmour, it is the turn of Mourad Meghni to be Echorouk’s sport spirit ambassador. Algeria’s football star was chosen to this noble mission because he has become an example of modesty, good behaviour and sport spirit. He signed a sponsorship contract with Echorouk to be its sport spirit ambassador. The contract was signed by the newspaper’s publisher Ali Fodil who delived a welcoming address.
• Meghni happy with his new born daughter
• Mourad Meghni’s daughter was born on July 13th. He named her ‘Zahra’ which means “flower” in English. He wanted to visit Algeria but he postponed his trip because his daughter was born.
• Meghni will stay in Lazio
• Mourad Meghni said he had no intention to leave his Italian club Lazio. “I am staying in Lazio and there is nothing which makes me thinking about leaving it.”
• “I am focusing now on my recovery,” he added.
• He denied news reports that he received offers from other European clubs. “But it is logical because I am not present in the pitch because of the surgery.”
• “I do not think that clubs want to bring an injured player,” he said.
• Algerian players victim of global financial crisis
• Mourad Meghni defended his professional team mates who pass through difficult times as they did not receive any offer from European clubs. “The Algerian players were not lucky this year though they played in the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. “It is because the global financial crisis which affected the transfers stockmarket.”
• He also said the biggest European clubs have a lot of financial problems. “Because of that, they left their best players.”
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•  “This reality directly affected summer transfers market and reduced the Algerian players’ chances to get good contracts.”
• Belhadj is the only player who can join a big European club
• Mourad Meghni praised his team mate Nadir Belhadj’s capacities, saying he is among the best Algerian and African players. “He can make big deals in summer transfers market in Europe.”
• “Belhadj’s level in the last World Cup was awesome. Though Algeria did not qualified to the second round, Belhadj’s performance in the three matches against Slovenia, the US and England was distinguished. That raised his value in the transfers market.”
• Meghni believes that big clubs in Europe wanted to make a deal with him.
• “Among all the national team’s players, Belhadj was the only one who could join a big European club. Everyone was expecting that Belhadj would join an ambitious European club.”
• I was surprise by his transfer to Qatar
• Lazio Roma’s player said he was surprised for hearing that Belhadj had joined Qatari Al-Sadd Sports Club. “As I said, I was expecting that Belhadj would play for a big Eurpean club but I was surprised that he is in Al-Sadd.”
• “I think that he is conscious about what he is making and he would have thought well about making his final decision.”
• “I am not concerned about his level”
• Although there is a big difference between the European championships and the Qatari one, Meghni believes that Belhadj would not loose his capacities in Al-Sadd. “I am not concerned about Belhadj’s level because he knows that he should keep the image that everyone knows about him either among Algerian or European fans. I am sure that he will succeed in his new experience.”
• “We need to be in his place to know about his motivation”
• Echorouk’s guest said Blhadj should not be criticised for his choice because no one knows the real reasons for it. “we need to be in Belhadj’s place to know the real reasons behind his decision to leave Europe to Qatar. I think that if he did not know well his capacities, he would not have made such a decision.”
• After football, I like basketball
• Mourad Meghni said he likes another sport after football. “After football, I like basketball. I practise it sometimes with my friends. I have not touched the ball neither by hand nor by foot since I was injured.”
• Ziaya is talented player and he did not get opportunity
• Mourad Meghni believes that the Algerian striker Ziaya is talented and managed to impose himself in the Algerian championship. “I can not judge his capacities in the African Cup as he did get the opportunity to play. Trainings were not enough to do that. I wish good luck to him with the national team.”
• I will not close door to Qatar
• Asked whether he would accept to join a Qatari club, Meghni said he can not answer the question but he will not close door to that.”
• He discovered his popularity through picture

• Usually, celebrity has a negative impact because it limits freedom. Yet, Mourad Meghni who became a star at an early age is still modest. This is one of his large popularity secret in Algeria.
• He said he did not imagine that popularity among the Algerian fans can be so large. “I discovered their love to football when I arrived to the airport of Algiers for the first time and I saw a big picture of Karim Ziani.”
• “At that moment, I knew about the value of the national team and football in Algeria.”
• The player’s modesty and his capacities may be behind his popularity among the Algerian fans. “I think I am doing my best to my country. I feel in peace when I am in Algeria,” he said.
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• On the other hand, he does not like when people gathered around him to take pictures. “I think that the Algerian fans do anything to take picture with me. I love them as they love me but sometimes I do not like the behaviour of some of them.”
• “I say to Feghouli and Tafer: Algeria is better and you will not regret”
• Meghni gave an advice to Spanish Valencia’s Sofiane Feghouli and the French team’s player Yanis Tafer to join the Algerian national team. “It is a big opportunity to you to make your dreams true,” he said.
• “Look at the situation of Benzema and Nasri who are marginalised in the French clubs. “You will not be corrupted in your country.”