The Africa Cup of Nations comes at an inconvenient time for all clubs, but perhaps even more so for PSV. With injuries already posing challenges at the Philips Stadium, the Eindhoven team will now also have to do without two key players: Ismael Saibari and Anass Salah-Eddine (both representing Morocco).
To add to their concerns, this continental tournament might also cause PSV to lose out on a significant bonus tied to the transfer of Ibrahim Sangaré. The midfielder was sold to Nottingham Forest last year for approximately €35 million.
In his appearance on Goedemorgen Eredivisie last Sunday, PSV’s general director Marcel Brands brought up this issue during his criticism of the Africa Cup. “We sold Ibrahim Sangaré to Nottingham Forest. If Forest remains in the Premier League, we are entitled to a bonus—provided he plays a certain number of matches. But now he might just fall short of that because he has to leave for the Africa Cup. And this is just one example; there are many others.”
“I believe there is some movement in this direction already, as they are also considering introducing something like a Nations Cup during regular international match windows. That would provide a different kind of solution. But this mid-season schedule simply doesn’t seem feasible anymore. Surely, this can’t continue?”
Playing during the summer isn’t an option due to the extreme heat, but Brands dismisses this concern. “Then they need to come up with an alternative. Just not in the middle of the ongoing club competitions. We’re talking about some outstanding players from various European teams. I think this is a problem for everyone involved.”
Incidentally, Sangaré’s journey in the Africa Cup has come to an end following a 3-2 defeat against Egypt earlier this week. This means he could be set to return to Nottingham this weekend, where, after a challenging first season, he has now established himself as a key starting player.