The Moroccan coach assures that his team has sent a message to the world: “You have to believe”
When Walid Regragui entered the press room, the Moroccan journalists stood up and applauded him. The coach thanked him, sat down and, in French, English and Arabic, explained the details of a historic victory. Regragui acknowledged that Portugal had caused them more trouble than Spain, but he praised his men’s faith. “We don’t have the same weapons as other teams, but this is like life. Even if you have less talent, less money… with work you can do anything. It’s no wonder. Only work. We beat Belgium, Spain, Portugal and that’s no wonder.
Regragui appreciated not only the enthusiasm of the Moroccan people, but of all of Africa and the Arab world. He recalled that when Morocco qualified for the World Cup, many people thought they had already achieved their goals and that they would not make it to the group stage. And yet they are now in the semi-finals and have reached a historic milestone. “You have to believe. Even if you are a smaller team, you have to believe in it. Neither the players nor I traveled here to play just three games.
A meeting now separates Morocco from the final of a World Cup. And why aren’t we going to win it, he wondered. Regragui assured that his team is the best of them all “at heart” and that this has enabled them to overcome injuries, illnesses and other adversities to reach the quarter-finals. Born on the outskirts of Paris, the Moroccan coach assures that with this achievement they have sent a message to future generations of footballers, both Moroccan and African: “It is possible. With work it is possible,’ he repeated several times.
Yassine Bono, the goalkeeper of Sevilla, voted best player of the match, appeared with him. Bono was delighted, though he confessed that he found it very difficult to “describe that feeling.” He shared with his coach the idea that this victory could contribute to “changing the mentality” of the next generations of Moroccan footballers: “We can achieve it. We can handle anyone.”
Santos: “I don’t regret not starting with Cristiano”
The Portuguese coach, Fernando Santos, appeared in the press room sad but with his usual stony face. The journalists asked him if he regretted not starting with Cristiano Ronaldo and Santos flatly denied it: “No. I have no regrets. We played very well against Switzerland and this Saturday we brought in Cristiano when we thought it was necessary. So there is no regret. It was unfair that we went into the break with a goal against, but this is football,” he replied.
Santos shared the criticism of the referee from none of his players like Pepe, highlighting the lack of luck in realizing some chances and Morocco’s brilliant defensive work. On Cristiano’s tears, he stressed: «The two people most upset and affected today are perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo and me; but this is football.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
