Algeria Football Technical Director Resigns, Accuses FA of Disrespect

Tempers are simmering in Algerian football following Rabah Saadane’s resignation as the technical director from the Algeria FA.

Saadane departed the FA’s Algiers base this week citing disregard shown to him by the North African nation’s football boss Kheiredine Zetchi.

The breakdown in ties between the two, in Rabahj’s words, began this summer with matters turning worst following Zetchi’s apparent refusal to consult him prior to the appointment of Belmadi Djamel as national team coach.

It reached a moment, according to Saadane, when the FA president opted to bypass him, selecting goalkeeper coach Aziz Bouras for the FIFA Coaches Congress, an event he’d been due to attend in London.

“In all modesty, my name is great and no one has the right to humiliate me. I just had to be told that I was replaced. At first, I was waiting for the president to return to discuss with him, but yesterday a friend assured me that it was Bouras who was appointed in my place,” he said, adding, “I do not know who exactly is behind (it), but the error has occurred at the level of the General Secretariat. It is the only department of the FAF that can send a correspondence to FIFA in this sense.”

An erstwhile Desert Foxes’ coach, the 72-year-old feels deeply hurt by what he calls the board’s total disregard of his personality and experience.

“What hurts me is that they did not respect my age and my status. I am a former coach and this had to be taken into consideration,” Saadane told a press conference in a rage.

Rabah is the only coach to have qualified a team to the World Cup four times.

Zetchi is yet to respond to the ex- gaffer’s chastisement of his leadership style.