Rumors in French language media indicated all week that a messy divorce between Algeria national team attacker Youcef Belaïli and French Ligue 1 club Stade Brestois was on the way and the news was confirmed on Thursday evening. The 30-year-old is out after he and the club agreed to a termination of his contract that was set to expire at the end of the 2022-23 Ligue 1 campaign. Belaïli will reportedly look to return to Qatari football where he previously enjoyed success with Qatar Sports Club in the country’s top tier during the 2020-21 season.
Belaïli’s departure comes after reports from French and Algerian media of regular misbehavior at Brest that led the club to believe that the Oran native was not serious about his commitment. Worst of all according to local media, Belaïli caused substantial damage to the house that was rented for him by the club that amounted to around €50,000 according to local outlet Le Télégramme. Disposal of cigarette butts in the bathtub and a complete remodeling of the kitchen were among the list of offenses indicated by the Breton newspaper in its report of the damages.
Algeria national team manager Djamel Belmadi addressed the trouble around one of his favorite attackers during the international break by stating that Belaïli needed to be patient and professional even when he did not receive the playing time he desired but it appears the European adventure is over. Belaïli ends his spell with Brest having made 19 appearances with 3 goals and 4 assists for the team who are stuck in the relegation zone early in the season on 5 points.
