Younes Belhanda Claims He Can Play Daily in Ligue 1

Speaking on a recent episode of the Riolo Club, the 36-year-old attacking midfielder made it clear that despite spending the past decade abroad and currently plying his trade in Qatar, he believes he se sent capable d’évoluer “tous les jours” en L1. Younes Belhanda maintains he has the necessary level to compete in the French top flight rather than in Ligue 2. The player has accumulated 59 selections and scored 5 goals for his national team.

Ambitions in Ligue 1 and Past Transfer Attempts

The former Montpellier champion of France in 2012—a season that he concluded with a place in the team of the year for the championship and the title of best young player—who has not played in Ligue 1 since his stint with OGC Nice in 2016-2017, detailed his recent efforts to secure a return to France. J’ai essayé de revenir, he explained, noting that when he was out of contract, he and various agents attempted to sound out clubs for a move back to the championship. Despite these efforts, he received no offers. Nevertheless, the Moroccan international insists on his current capabilities across the division, stating: À Marseille, je joue, à Lyon, je joue, à Lille, je joue… Toutes les équipes.

Career Journey Abroad and Assessment of Squads

Since his departure from French football, Belhanda’s career has taken him through Ukraine with Dynamo Kiev between 2013 and 2016, Germany with Schalke in 2016, and Turkey with Galatasaray and Adana Demirspor between 2017 and 2024, before moving to the Qatari championship with Al-Shamal from 2024 to 2026 and subsequently Al-Sailiya. Having left his mark on Ligue 1 during the 2010s, he addressed specific team needs during his interview, pointing directly to squad compositions, claiming that À Marseille, en 10 ils n’ont personne.

Photo: fr.news.yahoo.com

When questioned about a potential return to Montpellier, son club formateur désormais en Ligue 2, the player firmly drew a line regarding his sporting ambitions. J’ai le niveau pour jouer en Ligue 1, pas pour jouer en Ligue 2, Belhanda concluded.