{
  "id": 17769691,
  "title": "'Like playing Messi in goal' - Egyptian legend Mohamed Aboutrika criticises Man City boss Enzo Maresca's use of Ayyoub Bouaddi following Brighton defeat",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/like-playing-messi-in-goal-egyptian-legend-mohamed-aboutrika",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-02T08:32:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/playing-messi-goal-egyptian-legend-083247415.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Egyptian football legend Mohamed Aboutrika has sharply criticized Manchester City's head coach Enzo Maresca over his decision to deploy 19-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi in an advanced midfield role during Saturday's 1-0 Premier League home defeat against Brighton. Aboutrika, speaking as a pundit for beIN Sports MENA, questioned the tactical wisdom of Maresca's choice, likening it to the mistake of employing Lionel Messi in goal instead of his natural holding position. The former Egypt forward, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner in 2006 and 2008, argued that Bouaddi's natural role is number six, and forcing him into a higher position hinders his ability to showcase his best qualities such as winning back possession, distributing passes, and driving forward with the ball. Despite being signed last summer for a record fee, Bouaddi has yet to reach his full potential under Maresca, registering only two assists in nine appearances for the North-West English giants. City now faces a Champions League clash against RB Leipzig in midweek, and will need to address their domestic setback to maintain their competitive edge.",
  "summary": "Former Egypt forward Mohamed Aboutrika has taken aim at Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca over his tactical deployment of teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. The pundit questioned the Italian manager's decision to push the 19-year-old Moroccan further up the pitch during Saturday's shock 1-0 Premier League home defeat against Brighton.",
  "key_points": [
    "Egyptian legend Mohamed Aboutrika criticizes Enzo Maresca's use of Ayyoub Bouaddi.",
    "Aboutrika likens Bouaddi's advanced role to Messi playing goal.",
    "Bouaddi has two assists in nine appearances for Manchester City."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Misplacing a natural holding midfielder into an advanced role stifles the player's core strengths and prevents him from reaching his full potential within the Manchester City starting lineup.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}