An Algerian press report has outlined what it claims is the real reason why Spain’s Leganes goalkeeper Luca Zidane was left out of Algeria’s squad during the November international break.
Source explains why Luca Zidane was left out
La Gazette du Fennec cited a source it described as reliable who said national team technical director Brahim Hamdani does not want to call up Luca Zidane until he believes the keeper is ready to reclaim a starting spot.
According to the source cited by La Gazette du Fennec, Brahim Hamdani would rather not put Luca Zidane in an awkward position during the camp.
The same source, as quoted by La Gazette du Fennec, said Hamdani believes the Leganes goalkeeper has not yet regained his full capabilities to compete for the first-choice spot.
According to the Algerian website, the source close to the matter insisted the theory linking Luca Zidane’s exclusion to his father’s stance holds no weight.
The source cited by the Algerian website denied any off-pitch considerations behind Luca Zidane’s exclusion and rejected speculation that linked the decision to his father’s position.
According to the Algerian website, Luca Zidane’s exclusion was a purely technical decision.
Hamdani sets out his goalkeeping criteria
Brahim Hamdani justified his goalkeeping choices on the criterion of readiness and regular game time.
He said: "I made my decision based on a sporting criterion."
Hamdani highlighted the specificity of the goalkeeping role and the need to choose among three options with as many minutes as possible, stating: "This position has a great deal of specificity, and I needed to choose between three goalkeepers with as many playing minutes as possible."
He added: "The three goalkeepers who were selected are the ones who have played the most since the last gathering, and this is the only reason behind preferring them."
The Algerian report pointed out that the matter does not come down to minutes alone.
Leganes form and playing time context
The report noted that Zidane featured for more minutes than Oussama Benbout and Rayan Yassli, who each played 720 minutes and filled the void left by Ramadan’s absence from the squad.
Before losing his first-choice place, Luca Zidane started nine consecutive matches for Leganes, then lost his starting role after two games on the bench.
Luca Zidane returned to the line-up in the last round against Albacete, a match that ended in a 1-3 defeat.
Across 10 games, Luca Zidane conceded 17 goals and kept a clean sheet on only three occasions. According to the report, those figures give him no clear advantage to reclaim his place in the national team the moment he returns.
Club schedule and AFCON time pressure
According to the source cited by La Gazette du Fennec, Brahim Hamdani preferred to leave Luca Zidane with his club, especially as the team plays two matches during the international break.
Leganes took the field on Monday evening against Trbal Valderas in the Copa del Rey, winning 1-0, with Luca Zidane on the bench.
Three days after the Monday evening Copa del Rey match against Trbal Valderas, Leganes prepares for its second match against Burgos in a round of the Spanish second division.
A two-match suspension imposed by the Confederation of African Football forced Luca Zidane to miss the last Algeria camp.
Only the March international break remains before the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals, scheduled between 19 June and 17 July, leaving him little time to win back his place.
