It was touted as an issue as soon as the LFP announced that the relegation play-off between OGC Nice and AS Saint-Étienne would be moved in order to allow the former to play in the Coupe de France final against RC Lens.
Moving the dates of the two-legged encounter (the first of which took place on Tuesday, with the second in Nice on Friday night) was problematic as it meant that it fell outside of FIFA dates. It meant that national teams were not obliged to allow their players to play in the game. Nice held talks with national teams, who are preparing for the FIFA World Cup, in order to agree on retaining their players for the games against Sainté.
However, that did not work in the case of Ali Abdi, with Tunisia manager Sabri Lamouchi confirming that Nice tried – and failed – to retain the full-back. A day before the second leg of the Ligue 1 promotion/ relegation play-off, he was pictured in Tunisia.
Ali Abdi has been criticised for his choice, which will see him miss out on Friday’s game in Nice. His club, in an official press release, have defended the defender’s actions. The club confirmed the failed talks with the Tunisian federation but highlighted how Ali Abdi was nonetheless present for the first leg against ASSE.
They added that he was obliged to travel in order to undertake bureaucratic procedures pertaining to his participation in this summer’s World Cup. “Between defending the colours of his club and being able to honour his call-up for a World Cup with his national team, it was a particularly difficult decision on a human and sporting level,” read the communiqué.
The club added, “In light of him being the victim of a wave of insults on social media, the club calls on everyone to be measured and respectful towards a player who, like his club, is the victim of these events.”
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