Hakim Ziyech is Morocco’s outstanding talent, arguably the best player to have worn the Atlas Lions’ shirt, but when things go wrong the 27-year-old is framed as scapegoat No1.
No matter how well he performs, many view the new Chelsea signing, a €40million (£33.6million) acquisition from Ajax, as an outsider who is part of their international team but not totally tuned into what it means to be one of them.
Much of that is born from his late switch from the Netherlands, for whom he had represented up to Under-21 level and was called into a senior squad before withdrawing from injury.
While Ziyech, who was 22 at the time, said that his heart had told him to switch allegiance, many in Morocco felt that the decision stemmed from a lack of game time for the country of his birth. Though he has been 100% committed, a prominent view was that they were his sloppy seconds.
“Sadly he will always be made the scapegoat by some and a symbol for future failures of a national team filled with players from the diaspora in Europe,” the Moroccan football journalist Benjamin Hajji says before drawing comparison to the scrutiny faced by Lionel Messi in an Argentina shirt.
And yet there is an unprecedented feeling of excitement around the country as his debut in West London finally nears, delayed by a knee injury sustained in pre-season. Indeed by making himself available for the national team while not 100% is a testament to his dedication.
Ziyech’s arrival at Stamford Bridge is being framed as transformative for not only football in the country but the Premier League’s battle for popularity with La Liga across north Africa.
England’s top-flight has had other Moroccan internationals, from Marouane Chamakh at Arsenal and Crystal Palace to Adel Taraabt at Queen’s Park Rangers, but Ziyech is on a different level.
Algeria have Riyad Mahrez at Manchester City and further east Egypt have Mo Salah at Liverpool. For several seasons envious Moroccans have been longing for a similar figure.
“The star status of Ziyech is unprecedented for a Moroccan footballer, only rivaled by Achraf Hakimi [the Internazionale wing back], and there’s undoubtedly potential for Chelsea to establish themselves as the most popular English club in the country,” Hajji says.
The head of Chelsea’s official supporters club in Casablanca Adnane El Amrani agrees. “Chelsea will see a huge rise in terms of followers,” he says. “I suspect that a lot of Real Madrid and Barcelona fans themselves will now start following Chelsea as their second team.
“This is not uncommon in Morocco when it comes to following European football.”
It is not hard to draw parallels with Chelsea’s surge in popularity across West Africa during the Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou years.
The impact could also be significant for the Premier League as a whole in a country where La Liga is number one.
The region’s television deal with Bein Sports is worth close to half a billion and is up for renewal next summer. In ordinary circumstances, the arrival of such a star name would see that price driven up further but the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic may alter that outlook.
“There will be more Chelsea matches broadcast at local coffee shops and a lot more Chelsea shirts in the streets,” Hajji says.
“Barca and Madrid are by far the most popular clubs, but outside of that the general interest is headed more towards the Premier League, with five or six clubs leading the way.
“We have been spoiled for talented Moroccans in La Liga, whereas in England there are still very few who have succeeded and surrounding each move there is hope and expectations to see a success story.”
El Amrani expects there to be a vast increase in those wearing Chelsea shirts but much of that will come from counterfeit-market traders in a country where knock-off gear still rules.
For years the tourist market stalls of Marrakech and Casablanca have sold fake Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo shirts. Ziyech in blue may be sharing as much rail space soon.
“The price of official merchandise compared to spending power doesn’t help,” El Amrani says. “Countries like China and the US obviously have a strong official store culture.
“In Morocco, you will certainly see many kids wearing a Ziyech top in the next few years but I’m afraid the majority will be coming from the black market.”
At the same time the supporters club is expecting a surge in interest once he gets going following that knee injury picked up in Chelsea’s only pre-season friendly away to Brighton & Hove Albion. “The major opportunity we have in terms of newcomers are the youngsters who start discovering European football.
“If we can get a lot of those people on board thanks to Ziyech’s transfer, then I am convinced they will remain Chelsea fans even if he leaves. We just have to make sure that the first team that catches their eyes is not Barcelona or Real.”
Ultimately, however, there is a feeling that the only thing to win the doubters over is leading the national team to success.
“It could be a bit counterintuitive but football fans here are extremely demanding,” El Amrani adds. “His reputation will always entirely depend on his performances with the national team.”
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