Former French international Adil Rami recently revealed that he had once wanted to represent Morocco instead of France. He credits Claude Puel, his coach at the time at Lille, with convincing him to wait for an opportunity with the « Les Bleus. »
In an emotional live broadcast on the « X » platform, shared by « Instant Foot, » Rami recounted this pivotal moment in his career: « I would have loved to play for Morocco. Of course, it would have been a great pride for me. But Claude Puel told me then: ‘You don’t know this world yet, wait and don’t close doors for yourself.' »
Rami further explained that he never imagined becoming a professional football player so quickly, and his initial dream was solely to represent Morocco, without considering the French team.
Delving deeper into Puel’s influence on his decision, Rami said: « Claude Puel told me, with all the respect he had for Morocco, that I shouldn’t accept the offer to avoid creating barriers for myself. I remember crying in my room because Puel was the reason I turned professional, and I owed him a lot. I couldn’t just ignore his advice. »
He concluded: « I was very sad because I truly wanted to represent Morocco, but I feared accepting the offer and not finding myself as a key player in the Moroccan team, which could have put me in a difficult situation. »
Adil Rami, who later became a World Cup winner with France in 2018, clearly showed how small decisions can lead to major changes in life. The lingering question remains: what if he had chosen Morocco?
