“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Boardroom6 Nov 2028
The silence upstairs is getting loud at ES Ben Aknoun
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
A new face in his position, and Nassim Yattou suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. ES Ben Aknoun have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
In brief
SquadZayyad Musa unhappy with how he is being used
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 9 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. ES Ben Aknoun have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Mohamed Barka and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 1 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. ES Ben Aknoun have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Felipe Valencia is 19, and ES Ben Aknoun have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The deal that would have taken Mohamed Souibaâh to Olympique Akbou has collapsed at the last stage, and he reports back to ES Ben Aknoun with a summer to forget and a season still to play. Nobody is saying which side walked away.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Adil Djabout has let it be known that he does not like the way ES Ben Aknoun are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Abdelkader Tamimi may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Mohamed Barka and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 1 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The name of Dhayfallah Kadri has come up in conversations ES Ben Aknoun were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
A new face in his position, and Nassim Yattou suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. ES Ben Aknoun have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at ES Ben Aknoun can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The name of Dhayfallah Kadri has come up in conversations ES Ben Aknoun were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Chemseddine Lakehal keeps the shirt for now, at ES Ben Aknoun's convenience rather than his own.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
The language is coming and there is somebody to talk to in the dressing room. A footballer who feels at home plays like one, and it never shows up in a scouting report.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The name of Thabiso Msane has come up in conversations ES Ben Aknoun were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at ES Ben Aknoun can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The name of Dhayfallah Kadri has come up in conversations ES Ben Aknoun were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at ES Ben Aknoun can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Kheireddine Boussouf is 40, with 7 appearances behind him, and ES Ben Aknoun will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around ES Ben Aknoun they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Mohamed Souibaâh is 36, with 76 appearances behind him, and ES Ben Aknoun will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Kheireddine Boussouf may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Adil Djabout has let it be known that he does not like the way ES Ben Aknoun are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at ES Ben Aknoun, and 3 appearances in 10 say he has earned the hearing.
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Yanis Bentchakal may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“I did not go to CS Constantine to sit and watch. I want to come back to ES Ben Aknoun and fight for my place.” 2 appearances in 9 matches say the rest.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Yanis Bentchakal will call it something else in private.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Abdeljalil Saâd is 36, with 36 appearances behind him, and ES Ben Aknoun will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Mohamed Souibaâh keeps the shirt for now, at ES Ben Aknoun's convenience rather than his own.
Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Adil Djabout has let it be known that he does not like the way ES Ben Aknoun are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Mohamed Souibaâh will call it something else in private.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at ES Ben Aknoun, and 1 appearances in 5 say he has earned the hearing.
Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Islam Chahrour has let it be known that he does not like the way ES Ben Aknoun are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
1-5 to MC Alger, and it was every bit as bad as the number suggests. There are defeats you argue about and defeats you apologise for; this was the second kind.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Everything was agreed until it was not, and Imamu Bala reports back to ES Ben Aknoun with a summer to forget. Neither club is saying who walked away from the table.
Whether it was the goalkeeper or the ten in front of him is the argument that will fill every conversation in town this week. 4 saves does not settle it either way.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Abdeljalil Saâd will call it something else in private.
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
The terraces31 Jan 2028
The boos come down from three sides
“We pay for this every fortnight. The least we want is somebody who looks like he cares.” 6 of the 30 senior players walked off into it; the rest were not playing.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Yehia Zakaria and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Nassim Yattou keeps the shirt for now, at ES Ben Aknoun's convenience rather than his own.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. ES Ben Aknoun know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
A new face in his position, and Mohamed Souibaâh suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. ES Ben Aknoun have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. ES Ben Aknoun have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Abdelkader Tamimi may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. ES Ben Aknoun have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
MC Alger go through and ES Ben Aknoun go home, 0-3 the scoreline that did it. The dressing room will call the league the priority now, because that is what dressing rooms say.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
The terraces11 Oct 2027
The boos come down from three sides
“We pay for this every fortnight. The least we want is somebody who looks like he cares.” 6 of the 29 senior players walked off into it; the rest were not playing.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Every debut is a small story about the future: Amine Galou, 21 years old, off the academy pitches and into the first team. The parents in the stand will keep the programme.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Christian Castillo and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
ES Ben Aknoun spent the window trying to move Abdeljalil Saâd on and nobody came. He trains with a squad that has already told him he is not part of it, and both sides now wait for the next one.
The deal that would have taken Imamu Bala to Olympique Akbou has collapsed at the last stage, and he reports back to ES Ben Aknoun with a summer to forget and a season still to play. Nobody is saying which side walked away.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
The shirt still fits. Houssem Ghoulam is back at ES Ben Aknoun, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Abdeljalil Saâd is 35, with 28 appearances behind him, and ES Ben Aknoun will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Redouane Bounoua and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Abdeldjalil Bahoussi and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 1 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Abdeldjalil Bahoussi arrives at 34 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Abderrahmane Hachoud and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
The deal that would have taken Imamu Bala to MB Rouissat has collapsed at the last stage, and he reports back to ES Ben Aknoun with a summer to forget and a season still to play. Nobody is saying which side walked away.
The name of Dhayfallah Kadri has come up in conversations ES Ben Aknoun were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
$69.0K is a serious amount of money and it does not play centre-forward. Everybody in the dressing room knows who used to be looked at when it went wrong.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
The name of Imamu Bala has come up in conversations ES Ben Aknoun were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
The name of Aziz Benabdi has come up in conversations ES Ben Aknoun were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Mohamed Sylla keeps the shirt for now, at ES Ben Aknoun's convenience rather than his own.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
A new face in his position, and Mohamed Sylla suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. ES Ben Aknoun have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at ES Ben Aknoun can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Mohamed Sylla has let it be known that he does not like the way ES Ben Aknoun are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at ES Ben Aknoun pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“The easiest signature of my career.” S'fiso Hlanti and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I did not go to CR Belouizdad to sit and watch. I want to come back to ES Ben Aknoun and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 7 matches say the rest.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
In brief
The terracesThe press cannot get enough of Badis Bouamama
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
ES Ben Aknoun spent a month trying to move him and nobody rang back. He trains with a squad that has told him where he stands, and both sides start counting down to the next one.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Alaa Eddine Aissani and ES Ben Aknoun agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Abdeljalil Saâd will call it something else in private.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” ES Ben Aknoun have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at ES Ben Aknoun, and both men came out saying it was fine.
What was a back-page story is now a matter for the terraces, and the terraces do not do nuance. ES Ben Aknoun would like it dealt with before it becomes the only question anybody asks.
145% of the income goes out in wages at ES Ben Aknoun
Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what ES Ben Aknoun can pretend not to have heard.