For a long time, the name of Maxime Lopez has been associated with the hopes of French football. A pure product of Marseille training, the technical midfielder has climbed the ranks, wearing the tricolor jersey in all youth categories. The ultimate dream, the France A team, always seemed to be his priority objective. But at 27, when his career has taken him to Paris FC and the door to the Blues seems definitively closed, a radical change of direction is taking place.
Maxime Lopez: “Of course I would go”
The message was sent, clear and direct, on the Canal+ set. Asked about a possible future with Algeria, his mother’s country of origin, Lopez did not beat around the bush : “If they call on me for the Algerian team, of course I would go.” Aware of the effect that such an exit would produce, he himself anticipated the most obvious criticism:
“People will say that I am opportunistic because there is the CAN and the World Cup”. A preventive defense which nevertheless struggles to mask a timing that is troubling to say the least.
Why now? That’s the whole question. For years, while he played at OM or in Serie A, his position was clear: priority went to France. He even claimed last February that he had not “never had a concrete call” of the Algerian federation, while remaining “focused on the French team”. Today, as the two biggest international competitions loom, his speech has radically changed. It’s hard not to see it as a career calculation, once the blue dream has evaporated.
A disturbing air of déjà vu
This scenario is reminiscent of other cases which have caused debate, such as that of Houssem Aouar, who waited until he had worn the French jersey in a friendly before finally opting for the Fennecs, not without attracting the wrath of certain observers. This approach is often poorly perceived by some Algerian supporters, who see it as a default choice rather than a true declaration of love for the jersey. Former striker Islam Slimani had also expressed this frustration, tired of seeing players “choose” Algeria once other options had been exhausted.
It remains to be seen how coach Vladimir Petkovic will receive this spontaneous candidacy. On the one hand, the apparent opportunism of the approach is irritating. On the other hand, in a team in full reconstruction, the talent and experience of a player like Maxime Lopez cannot be refused so easily. The ball is now in the court of the Algerian federation, which will have to decide between sporting pragmatism and national pride.
