Schalke’s Defender Says No to Algeria

Benjamin Stambouli has rejected Algeria’s proposal to play for them hoping to represent France instead.

The Schalke centre-back was courted by Algeria Football Federation on the recommendations of Desert Foxes’ gaffer Djamel Belmadi.

Djamel had hoped to use the former PSG and Spurs man in Algeria’s next qualifier as he looks to bolster his squad, weighing going into the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with a solid team.

To the North African FA’s dismay, the 28-year-old passed on the opportunity –his second rejection of Algeria after the first in 2013.

Born in Marseille and capped in all youth categories for France, Stambouli qualifies to play for the Africans through his parents.

Benjamin’s decision to turn down a call-up, according to Algerian publication Buteur, followed wide speculation that he’d consented switching allegiance after speaking to emissaries from the Algerian Football Association.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“The information is false. Stambouli was not approached by the FAF. I do not understand where this information comes from! I do not understand why we give false information. These people who mentioned this kind of information must know that to have Stambouli, it is necessary to go through FIFA in order to qualify it through a change of sports nationality,”[/perfectpullquote]

a source tells Buteur.