Monday, March 15, 2021 at 11:55 PM• Last update: 00:38

Martijn Krabbendam thinks that not including Mohamed Ihattaren in the European Championship selection of the Juniors could have a counterproductive effect on his international career with the Netherlands. In the program Football talk from ESPN the journalist states that the nineteen-year-old midfielder is not worried that he has not been selected by national coach Erwin de Looi, which only increases the chance that Ihattaren will eventually choose Morocco. Kenneth Perez agrees, although the analyst does not see the problem: “Then he still plays well for Morocco!”

When presenter Milan van Dongen asks about the most striking moment of last football weekend, Perez cites the fact that Ihattaren is not included in the European Championship selection of the Dutch Juniors. Although the former football player does not want to judge whether or not it is a good decision by Van de Looi not to include Ihattaren, Perez does think that the incident “should be a lesson for youth players.” “One day the KNVB does something that has never been done before: taking a picture with a potential international, and a year and a half later you are not good enough for the Dutch Juniors. It can go that fast in the football world.” Perez is referring to the photo of then national coach Ronald Koeman and Ihattaren, when the latter announced his choice for the Dutch.

Although Perez hopes that the choice of the national coach is ‘a wake-up call’ for Ihattaren, the analyst does not expect the creative midfielder to be hit very hard by the decision. “On the contrary”, says Krabbendam, when asked whether not selecting Ihattaren is ultimately good for his career. “No, I don’t think it will help to get him in the right direction. I think that will allow him to choose Morocco even faster. That could still play”, said Krabbendam.

Perez agrees with his colleague, and thinks the coach’s decision leaves Ihattaren cold. “If he wants to play for Morocco, he is going to play for Morocco! Of course Ihattaren thinks: ‘Who the fuck is Erwin van de Looi? ‘ He won’t be like, “Oh shit, if that trainer doesn’t see it in me either …” But of course that’s the wrong thought, “Perez concludes.