Leeds United forward Noah Okafor has been accused of ‘taking himself a bit too seriously’ after resigning from the Switzerland national team.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung cover the 26-year-old today after his public announcement regarding his international future this week.
The Leeds man has elected to withdraw from international selection. He’s accused manager Murat Yakin of a ‘breach of trust’. It’s the latest episode in a long-running drama and conflict between the two.
Soap opera
Neue Zürcher Zeitung report that the decision was part of an ‘entertaining episode of a soap opera’ this week.
First Winsley Boteli announced he would play for Switzerland. Then youngster Alessandro Romano went the other way, electing to play for Italy.
‘The next Okafor drama’ then came on Thursday. The Leeds man announced his decision to retire from international duty for the time being. He no longer wishes to play under Murat Yakin.
The newspaper says his decision, and his public statement, is a sign of him ‘once again taking himself a bit too seriously’. It’s not the first time he’s gone public with his feelings and emotions, despite Switzerland’s best attempts to play down any issues.
Switzerland not mourning
They state that he should be well aware that Yakin has little use for players who ‘place themselves above the team’. It’s not a new stance from the Switzerland boss.
They also argue that Switzerland are unlikely to mourn Noah Okafor’s departure after their repeated efforts to reintegrate him into the set up. Their laconic statement on Thursday can ‘hardly be interpreted any other way’.
The newspaper instead thinks it is surprising how the Leeds forward has timed the announcement. They believe that doing so a week before a squad announcement ‘raises questions’.
They suggest that is could hint that Yakin has already had a word behind the scenes. That’s something the association are refusing to answer. They’re leaving it until Yakin’s press conference next week instead.
