A controversy quickly grew around the Algerian selection during this 2026 World Cup, after the dissemination of information suggesting an alleged rift between Vladimir Petkovic and his locker room. Revelations that appeared just after the victory against Jordan (2-1) and which raise questions as much by their content as by their chronology.
The Greens, however, had alternated results at the start of the competition, with a heavy defeat against Argentina (3-0) followed by a significant success against Jordan. It was in the wake of this second match that rumors of internal tensions emerged, a timing considered strange to say the least by several sources close to the matter interviewed by winwin : “If such a crisis were real, it would have erupted before the World Cup or after the defeat against Argentina, not the day after an important victory. »
These same interlocutors point to an external origin, evoking the possible involvement of a players’ agent in the dissemination of this information on social networks. They also refute the existence of a crisis meeting between the players and the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), ensuring that no episode of this type took place in the locker room.
Frustrated players
Internally, the situation would actually be much less explosive than what is publicly described. Some players reportedly expressed their frustration after the match against Argentina, particularly because of their substitute status. Exchanges that remained private, which would then have been amplified and taken out of context.
The Swiss coach, Vladimir Petkovic, would have become aware of these rumors without commenting on them to his group, favoring the continuity of his work. As for speculation about its future, notably HervĂ© Renard’s hypothesis, they are firmly ruled out: “Only the results will determine his fate. »
