Belghali: “I turned down an offer from Qatar to stay in Europe.. and the World Cup was the greatest moment of my career”
The Algerian international player, Rafiq Belghali, who represents Torino FC, revealed important information about his sports career. He confirmed that he turned down a previous offer to move to Qatar, preferring to stay in Europe to develop and achieve his goals with the national team.
In an interview with Toro.it, a site close to Torino FC, Belghali explained that he received the offer while he was at Mechelen in Belgium, coinciding with his struggle with an injury, but he decided to continue in Europe, saying: “When I was injured at Mechelen, I received an offer to go to Qatar, but it wasn’t my dream, and I wanted to play for Algeria. At that time, I hadn’t represented the national team yet. So, I wanted to stay in Europe to build a good career and develop further.”
Belghali also spoke about his debut in the World Cup with the national team, which also coincided with him scoring his first goal for the "Greens" against Austria. He affirmed that this moment will remain etched in his memory, “It felt like a dream since my childhood, playing in the World Cup is something I will never forget, and I believe it is the best moment of my football career.”
The Torino defender discussed his new experience in Serie A, comparing it to the Belgian league where he started his career. He noted that Serie A is characterized by intense competition and a high number of matches, along with significant fan interest, pointing out the clear differences between the two leagues in this regard.
Belghali also mentioned the player who inspired him during his childhood, the recently retired captain of the national team, Riyad Mahrez, who was his teammate in the "Greens," saying: “Riyad Mahrez was my role model when I was young, I admired him a lot because he is Algerian and had a wonderful career in Europe, and now I play with him, which is a bit different.”
Belghali confirmed that his ambition lies in making a contribution and helping the team improve week after week, “I just hope to have an impact on the team and contribute to its improvement every week. This is a personal goal for me this season, and I want to replicate what I did last season in Verona, and try to help my team as much as I can.”
The Algerian player also talked about his start with Torino, expressing his happiness with his first appearance, during which he provided an assist to his teammate Che Adams, resulting in a victory for Torino.
