Islam Slimani Discusses His Exclusion from the National Team: "Pietrović Said Things That Didn't Happen"
Islam Slimani spoke about his exclusion from the national team during the tenure of former coach Vladimir Pietrović, particularly as he was not called up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 World Cup.
Regarding his lack of call-up by Pietrović, Slimani told “L'Équipe”: “No, these are choices, and it's not a problem... Every coach has his options.”
When asked if he felt disrespected by the way he was excluded, the all-time top scorer for the “Greens” replied: “Disrespect? I wouldn't say that.”
Slimani revealed that Pietrović did not come to meet him upon his arrival, explaining that their communication was limited to a phone call, saying: “Not at all... This is football, and I don't take it personally.”
He concluded: “It's a thankless world, but it didn't affect me, of course. There are ways to handle things; we had a phone conversation, and he said things that didn't happen... That's how things are. I played what I had to play for my country and gave everything I had when I was on the pitch.”
