Louey Ben Farhat, a young Tunisian player, of Tunisian parents but born in Germany, who has become one of the stars of the Bundesliga 2 team Karlsruhe, was seemingly forbidden to play in the World Cup with Tunisia... by his father. When coach Sabri Lamouchi announced the list on Friday, many were surprised to see the absence of the 19-year-old forward, who despite his age had been called-up before for the national team and is considered a rising star in German football.
Turns out, Lamouchi had spoken with Ben Farhat's father, and ordered him not to call his son. "I received a call from Louey Ben Farhat's father this morning. He told me it was too early to select him and he refused. I was shocked. I called Louey, he didn't answer. I called his father back, he didn't answer either", the coach said.
"It's a lack of respect. This case is closed. If we have no respect for this jersey, for this flag, we do not deserve to play for Tunisia".
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This case has been controversial in Tunisia, as they cannot believe a young player has been denied of a chance like this... and some theorise that the real reason is that the parents or players hope that Louey Ben Farhat will be called-up by Germany in the future, due to his dual nationality.