Algeria national team manager Rabah Madjer is a decent politician, at least according to his comments regarding national superstar Riyad Mahrez and his club Leicester City.
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Mahrez, who turns 27 later this month, was left out of Leicester’s 1-1 draw with Swansea after his displeasure with Leicester’s refusal to sell him in the January window had him “missing” from the King Power Stadium set.
Madjer understands Mahrez’s frustration and knows he has to have his back, but also knows that Algeria striker Islam Slimani is also Leicester property and that clubs of his other players are watching his remarks.
So the boss was sure to credit Leicester while explaining his position on why the Foxes should allow Mahrez to go to a UEFA Champions League club.
Granted we wouldn’t suggest the phrasing “better than Leicester” when describing a club who won a Premier League title featuring your star, but no one’s perfect. From Goal.com:“Mahrez currently deserves better than Leicester, but we must not forget that it was Leicester who put him on the right track.
“I think a serious conversation with his board is needed. He wants to go to a bigger club in the English league. I do not know what really happened about his transfer.”
The Sun also tosses a fairly funny tidbit out there that seems a bit too on the nose to be true, but bears relaying: Leicester teammates apparently have taken to calling Mahrez “Viktor Navorski,” after the character in Tom Hanks’ “The Terminal” who cannot get into the U.S. nor back to his home country.