Hakim Ziyech has publicly pointed to Wydad president Ibrahim El Assri as the man behind his exclusion from a pre-season friendly and the club’s training camp in Agadir, bringing weeks of uncertainty over his future at the club into the open.
Ziyech was at the Wellness Complex for Wydad’s friendly against Renaissance Club Athletic Zemamra (RCAZ) and was dressed to play. But as he prepared to join his teammates for the warm-up, the former Chelsea player was reportedly told by coach Paulo Sérgio Brito that he could not take part following a decision by El Assri.
He was subsequently left out of the squad selected for Wydad’s pre-season camp in Agadir.
The two decisions prompted Ziyech to speak publicly about the dispute for the first time. Responding to a post by an Instagram page dedicated to Wydad news, he directly blamed El Assri for both his absence from the friendly and his exclusion from the Agadir camp.
The intervention marks an escalation in a dispute that had until now remained largely behind the scenes.
Despite questions over his future since the arrival of the new management, Ziyech had continued to train normally with the squad and featured in an earlier pre-season friendly against Ittihad Tanger.
Salary at heart of Wydad dispute
The main point of contention has been Ziyech’s salary, which the new management considers too high as it seeks to control costs and reshape the squad.
Ziyech, however, has been unwilling to accept a reduction in the financial terms agreed when he joined Wydad and wants to see out his commitment to the club.
His future had emerged as one of the first major decisions facing El Assri since taking over the Wydad presidency. The disagreement has now developed into an open standoff just weeks before the new season begins on September 24.
