VAHID HALILHODZIC is contemplating retirement from management after being sacked by THREE national teams despite guiding them to the World Cup.
The Bosnian was dismissed from Ivory Coast and Japan before the 2010 and 2018 World Cups respectively, and Morocco followed suit ahead of Qatar 2022.
In a emotional interview with Bosnian news outlet, N1, Halilhodzic revealed ” [The decision to sack me before the world cup] affected me quite a bit, I’m even thinking about ending my career in a bit of a weird way.
“That’s life, I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, but it is a bit too much. I’m thinking of saying thank you to football.”
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation sacked Halilhodzic last month suggesting, in a statement, he was let go as a result of “different and divergent visions.”
The former Paris Saint Germain manager had a reported bust up with both Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui with the former announcing his, now rescinded, international retirement in February.
Things came to a head between Halilhodzic and Ziyech in September 2021, when the Chelsea star was accused of faking an injury to avoid playing.
“For the first time in my coaching career, I have seen behaviour that disappoints me.
“A player who refuses to play a game, admittedly a friendly, on the pretext that he is injured.
“The medical staff made several examinations and said he could play.
“He then refused to warm up in the second half because he was disappointed to be a substitute.
“For me, that type of behaviour is unacceptable. You can’t cheat with the national team. You are 100% there or you are not.”
Following Morocco’s qualification for the World Cup, the RMFF president said, as reported by Dutch outlet NU: “There are problems that need to be solved.
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“We will do so in order for Ziyech and Mazraoui to return to the national team.”
New manager Walid Regragui has succeeded Halilhodzic as Moroccan manager and has wasted little time in recalling the Chelsea winger.
The 29-year-old could make his first appearance in seven months against Chile.
Bullish Bosnian Halilhodzic did manage to take charge of one team at a World Cup, and it didn’t go badly at all.
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In 2014, he managed Algeria and led them out of the group stage for the first time in the country’s history.
Despite an unlucky exit to eventual winners Germany in a 2-1 extra time defeat, the tournament is regarded by many to be the biggest success in the North African nation’s history.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
