“Benlamri surpassed everyone in the 2019 African Cup of Nations, of course he has his place in France”
The author of a tremendous journey for his first experience this year in Ligue 1, the second best player of Brest of the season, the goalkeeper Belkibela, returns in this exclusive interview given to the goalkeeper in his daily life in this holy month of Ramadan that it happens, for the first time since he became a professional, with his family. Guard, imprisonment ends in France, how did you experience that? We’ve just got out of confinement, you know, we’ve been allowed since May 11 to slowly resume normal life, that is, by respecting instructions like barrier gestures and everything that follows. We are also not allowed to travel more than 100 km. We try to talk as much as we can
What do you think of canceling the season this year in France? Frankly, it’s a good thing, we haven’t seen any danger in the middle of a pandemic. Then, for the soccer player, it is always difficult to resume competition after a pause like this and of course in front of the empty stands. The holidays were so long, and hard to stay without training, right? It is true that we are missing team training. After that, it is planned to return to the club this weekend to undergo coronavirus tests, in addition to the necessary medical checks. After that, we’ll be on vacation before resuming preparations for next season in a few days. Let’s go back to this virus that has paralyzed the world. Blida, the city you used to play is very touched, you are definitely watching what is happening in Algeria. Ah yes, I have to! It is true that in Blida, I tested my first choice with Algeria as president and I am not ready to forget this city. After that, I know that they are infected with this virus and wish them a lot of courage. Now, there is no other treatment than to educate the population to respect sanitary instructions. It is extremely important to remain confined insofar as it affects all groups of the population. The poor and the rich, the young and the old, no one survives this fast-spreading disease and you still have to stay home as much as possible and take care of your family and loved ones. As a Muslim, stopping the championship during this Ramadan period suits you, isn’t it? Yes, Alhamdulillah, I am allowed to spend this holy month with family and eat chorba mom (laughs). I haven’t experienced this in many years because Ramadan is often either in the pre-season or at the end of the tournament, so it was complicated compared to training in particular. So, let’s say, it’s an evil for the good of us, and all of the competitors are high-profile.
Il est vrai que nous manquons de formation en équipe. Après cela, il est prévu de retourner au club ce week-end pour passer
As a Muslim, stopping the championship during this Ramadan period suits you, isn’t it?
Yes, Alhamdulillah, I am allowed to spend this holy month with family and eat chorba mom (laughs). I haven’t experienced this in many years because Ramadan is often either in the pre-season or at the end of the tournament, so it was complicated compared to training in particular. So, let’s say, it’s an evil for the good of us, and all of the competitors are high-profile.
Le Ramadan est exceptionnel pour vous cette année?
Exactement, d'habitude, j'étais toujours seule à gérer pendant le Ramadan pour préparer ce qui était nécessaire, et il y a forcément beaucoup mieux avec ma famille et mes proches.
Vous avez également le droit de déguster le bork avec chorba maman?
(Rires honnêtement) Oui exactement, Soupe, Buraq, Brick, tout y est, nous sommes très bien servis en famille.
Prendre un peu de cupidité de notre part ou faire attention?
We’re a little anxious anyway (laughs) because we train a little less than usual, have less activity, so we shouldn’t quit either, after saying we’re fun from time to time while keeping reasonable.
Influencés par ce qui se passe également en France et en Algérie, les acteurs de l'EN multiplient les appels à venir pour aider le prochain mot, un mot lié à ces initiatives?
C'est une obligation, en plus du fait que ce virus peut affecter votre mère, votre père, votre sœur ou votre frère. Même si personne dans la famille n'a été touché, nous devons penser à d'autres personnes qui ont perdu des êtres chers ou qui ont contracté le virus, surtout en ce mois sacré. Nous devons aider ceux qui en ont besoin et nous remercions le personnel hospitalier qui se bat chaque jour pour sauver des vies.
Brest’s second-best player of the season In this poll conducted on the Breton crowd, what does he do for your first season in Ligue 1?
That’s beautiful, it means my work will be rewarded, let’s say. After that, I hope we ended the season but was complicated with the virus. Frankly, I am very happy with my first year in League 1 with Brest and I hope it continues that way, God willing.
Vous manquez de choisir un gardien de but, pouvez-vous ne pas vous voir avant mars prochain?
Yes, I miss it so much especially that we had to hold a rally before announcing the reservation to play the CAN 2021 qualifiers. Unfortunately, this virus canceled everything. It was difficult for us to grasp this decision because we were so eager to meet again. But hey, it doesn’t matter, people’s health is a priority. God willing, it will pass quickly and we will soon find the national team.
Vous avez choisi l'Algérie si jeune, vous avez même joué les Jeux Olympiques avec les Verts, et nous aimerions que vous ayez votre avis sur des joueurs comme Aouar, Ait Nouri et Cherki qui parlent lentement.
Listen, for me, my choice of Algeria was made a long time ago, after all his vision of things. As Riad (Mahrez) said, he allowed them to come forward and make their decision, and if they chose the heart, they would definitely choose Algeria. Now we’ll see in the future what will happen and then there.
Belmadi a mentionné que l'objectif serait de gagner la prochaine Coupe du monde 2022 à Doha, comment interprétez-vous cette déclaration?
I agree with him and we all trust him. It’s his temperament, we all know the coach and the players, we’re competitors. We are not here to laugh, when we play the competition, it is to win. We don’t want to play the World Cup just to win a match, it is useless. We are African champions, we have to keep working.
On parle de Jamel Benlamry contre Lyon et Nice pour la saison prochaine, pensez-vous qu'il peut gagner un tournoi comme la Ligue 1?
Dans une large mesure, il a sa place dans le championnat de France. On a vu ses qualités en Coupe d'Afrique et ce n'est pas une compétition facile où le niveau est très élevé avec des joueurs de grande qualité. Après cela, Jamal a battu la concurrence. Il était le meilleur joueur de la Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, donc s'il avait la chance de jouer en France, il gagnerait définitivement.
Un dernier mot au peuple algérien au cours des dix derniers jours du Ramadan?
Je leur dis, fais attention, respecte les consignes, reste le plus possible à la maison. Profitez de votre famille pour passer les dix derniers jours du Ramadan de la meilleure façon possible