This time last year Amine Harit was in the form of his life, the driving force of David Wagner’s Schalke side sitting pretty in the Champions League places.
With every sumptuous flick and defence-splitting pass, lofty comparisons with Zinedine Zidane became more and more appropriate.
Imagine the surprise, then, when Harit was omitted from the 23-man Morocco squad during the November 2019 international break.
Manager Vahid Halihodzic laid out his reasons and Harit’s absence, it seemed, had more to do with his attitude than ability.
“Harit got an opportunity (in the past) and played. I wasn’t satisfied with his performances and commitment. Since he was first called up, he hasn’t shown anything,” the former PSG and Nantes coach explained.
“When he’s not playing (during international duty), he does everything he can to get back to his club.”
Corriere dello Sport reported 12 months ago that Liverpool had identified the £17 million-rated, French-born North African as the man to fill a Philippe Coutinho-shaped void in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield.
But Halihodzic’s stinging criticism should have had alarm bells ringing at Anfield. After all, Klopp isn’t a coach who carries passengers as Mario Balotelli, released by the Reds less than a year after the German’s 2015 appointment, will tell you.
And, over the course of the past year, Harit has done little to suggest he’d have been anything other than a disastrous fit alongside sweat-shedding warriors Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Gini Wijlandum in a Premier League-winning team.
And not just because his tally of goals since those Liverpool links emerged stands at a measly one in 21 matches.
According to BILD, Schalke coach and Wagner replacement Manuel Baum was left despairing after Harit failed to follow his tactical instructions during a 2-2 draw with Mainz.
A week later, the former Nantes youngster was hauled off with just 38 minutes on the clock as the Gelsenkirchen giants were swept aside by Wolfsburg – their 24th consecutive Bundesliga game without a win.
The fact Harit snubbed Baum’s embrace before heading to the stands didn’t go unnoticed either. As reported by Kicker, he has now been suspended by Schalke and will train alone until further notice.
“A few things happened last weekend that we didn’t like. That’s why Amine has been given a pause for thought,” says sporting director Jochen Schneider.
“He has great sporting potential but has not been able to use it in the interests of our team in the last few months. It’s up to Amine that he quickly finds his way back into the team.”
If you feel a slight breeze, that’s probably an almighty sigh of relief being omitted by Liverpool fans up and down the country.
Speaking on Instagram as his suspension was confirmed, Harit insists he is “determined” to help turn Schalke’s sinking ship around.
Saying it and doing it, however, are two very different things.
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