VALENCIA: In recent years, Selim Amallah, star of Valencia CF and Morocco, has experienced unforgettable moments, both at international level and at club level.
In the summer of 2023, the 27-year-old footballer was loaned to the La Liga side from second division club Real Valladolid, after appearing in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with the Moroccan selection.
Tonight, the Belgian-born midfielder will be part of the Valencia squad, currently in eighth position in the La Liga table. The club is managed by legend Ruben Baraja and they will face FC Barcelona at the Lluis-Companys Olympic Stadium.
Selim is delighted with the turn of events.
“I’m very happy to play in Spain because it’s one of the best championships in the world,” he told Arab Newsafter a training session at Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna, Valencia’s state-of-the-art training complex.
“It’s a championship in which I wanted to play and I succeeded,” he explains. “I expected to have a lot more playing time initially,” he adds. “I am aware of the invaluable learning experience this season has given me. Honestly, I’m very happy to be here.”
If, historically, many players from North Africa have shone in La Liga and other European championships, very few players from the Middle East or Gulf countries have attempted to take the plunge.
Selim Amallah believes that more Arab players should try their luck, not only to take on new sporting challenges and discover new cultures, but also and above all to succeed as professionals on the field.
“Of course, entering the history of a championship or your country is something that you aspire to achieve, and it is also one of my objectives,” he continues.
The highlight of Selim Ramallah’s career to date has undoubtedly been Morocco’s incredible run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Along the way, the Atlas Lions beat Spain and Portugal, before losing to reigning world champions France.
“It was incredible,” says Selim. “These are memories that I believe will stay with us forever. None of us expected to get to this level. We were able to show that Moroccan players and Moroccan clubs can also play football at the highest level. We are very proud to have represented our country.”
The experience in Qatar was marked by the overwhelming support that the Arab countries’ teams received, with members of the different communities coming together to support the teams from the region.
“It was a Source of pride because it wasn’t necessarily just the Moroccan people who were behind us. All Muslim peoples were with us,” underlines Selim Amallah. “We were happy to show that Muslims are indeed present in football and that we could not only make Moroccans proud, but also the entire Arab world and the African world, through our determination on the field.”
After the euphoria of Qatar 2022, Morocco received another good news by being designated as co-organizer of the 2030 World Cup, alongside Spain and Portugal.
Selim Amallah says he and his teammates are looking to build on their record before this major world football event.
“I think we want to prove, to show that Morocco will still be there,” he says. “We have a very good team, we have great players, but I think that from now on it will be a little more difficult because we will be expected. We will do everything we can to represent our country.”
This text is the translation of an article published on Arabnews.com
