On video.. Noureddine Zekri drops a bombshell: I am the best Algerian coach.. and who are these people to lead the national team?

Al Shabab v Al Nassr - Saudi Pro League

Merely mentioning these people is an insult to Algeria... strong statements from the former coach of Saudi Arabia's Al-Shabab

Noureddine Zekri, the former coach of Saudi Al-Shabab, has sparked controversy over the identity of the next manager of the Algerian national team. He has described himself as the best Algerian coach at present, insisting that no other local coach possesses a CV or coaching qualifications like his.

His comments come amid continued uncertainty over the future of Switzerland's Vladimir Petkovic at the helm of Algeria's technical staff.

Petkovic's future remains unresolved, despite a recommendation from the technical committee of the Algerian Football Federation for him to continue in his role, following the failure at the 2026 World Cup and calls to change the technical staff.

The Swiss had renewed his contract before the World Cup to remain until 2028, but his future has become a subject of debate within the corridors of the Algerian federation, with a previous inclination towards appointing an Algerian coach to succeed him.

Zekri told Algerian channel Echorouk News: "I am currently the best Algerian coach, and not just a local coach, because all my qualifications are Italian and internationally recognised. There is no coach in Algeria who possesses a CV or qualifications like the ones I have."

The 61-year-old added: "Over 26 years of my career, every time I took charge of a team I was able to achieve the objectives required of me. What more do you want than that?"

His career has taken in several clubs inside and outside Algeria, most notably his spell with ES Setif, with whom he won the Algerian Cup in 2010. He also saved a number of struggling Saudi clubs from relegation in difficult circumstances.

"When I took charge of teams built to compete for titles, I won trophies, as happened with ES Setif," he explained. "And in Saudi Arabia, I oversaw clubs fighting to stay in the top flight, and preserving their status seemed almost impossible, but I succeeded in that."

Saudi clubs on his CV include Al-Feiha, Damac, Al-Akhdoud and Al-Kholood, and he became a free agent after leaving Al-Shabab on 30 June.

Strong words aside, Zekri insisted that he is not chasing the Algeria job as Petkovic's successor. He pointed out that he had previously submitted his file at the request of some people, but that he would not do so again.

"I am not asking for the position of national team coach," he said. "I put forward my candidacy previously at the request of several people, but I will not do that again."

Zekri also mocked the press reports linking names such as Antar Yahia and Rafik Saifi with assistant roles in the Algerian national team's technical staff in the upcoming period.

"Mashallah, Antar Yahia has a big name, just as we created the name of Madjid Bougherra earlier, and now we are moving to create the name of Yahia in the same way," he added sarcastically.

"Bougherra fell with a team in the Emirati league, then fell with a team in the Qatari league, and he also failed to lead the Lebanon national team to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup," he continued.

"Do you want to bring back the (Omdurman Algeria) without qualifications or trust?" Zekri asked.

He then continued angrily: "Merely mentioning the names of these people to work with the national team is an insult to Algeria and a diminishing of the value of the men of this nation."

"There is a lobby steering public opinion towards specific coaches, portraying them as Mourinho, when in reality they are nothing," he concluded.