Hakim Ziyech commits to Chelsea in stunning long-term decision

Hakim Ziyech’s time at Chelsea has been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. The former Ajax winger joined the club as a Frank Lampard recruit and he was seen as a crucial addition to the Blues’ project under the club legend. He had an important place in the team as a versatile attacking midfielder and winger. Ziyech was tasked with the responsibility of being an everyday chance creator, arguably the role that fits his skillset the most. He was an everyday player under Lampard, but things changed when Thomas Tuchel assumed the role as manager at Chelsea.

Ziyech still got minutes, just fewer of them. One of the reasons Tuchel was brought in was to get Kai Havertz and Timo Werner firing, which left little room for the Moroccan in the starting XI when one considers Mason Mount’s importance. Regardless, Ziyech kept fighting. He finally seemed to have found a place in the team before a shoulder injury in the UEFA Super Cup derailed all of his progress. Ziyech was once again on the bottom of the attacking totem pole and contemplating his future. He never gave up though and over the last few weeks, he has become an important piece in Tuchel’s new 4-1-4-1 formation. Furthermore, Ziyech made a stunning decision on Tuesday that displayed his full commitment to his future with the Blues.

Hakim Ziyech has committed to Chelsea with a shocking decision made Tuesday

Ziyech officially announced his retirement from international football before Chelsea kicks off the Club World Cup later this week. This comes after the 28-year-old was not selected to play for the Moroccan National Team at the recently concluded African Cup of Nations tournament. The tournament—won by Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and Senegal—was largely a disappointment for Morocco.

The Atlas Lions made it to the quarterfinal stage before bowing out to eventual runner-up, Egypt. This wasn’t without some struggles though. Morocco kicked off the tournament with a 1-0 defeat of Ghana and a 2-0 win over Comoros. However, a disappointing 2-2 draw with Gabon foreshadowed the failures to come. The Atlas Lions squeaked past Malawi in the Round of 16 before eventually bowing out of the tournament. Even after not making it as far as Morocco had hoped, manager Vahid Halilhodzic doubled down on his decision to exclude the Chelsea winger.

Halilhodzic and Ziyech have been involved in a very public standoff since last year when Ziyech was left out of the team during an international break. The former has been the manager of Morocco since 2019 and it seems as if he’ll remain in the post, even after the disappointment at AFCON 2021. This means that Ziyech essentially has no way back into the team in the near future. This reality undoubtedly played a massive part in his decision to retire from the international game at just 28 years of age. Ziyech calls it quits after playing for the African nation on 40 different occasions. He scored 17 goals and tallied an additional 10 assists during that span.

The international retirement means Ziyech will now fully commit to focusing on his club. He’s a divisive figure amongst Blues supporters, but he has never backed down from a challenge and there’s something to be said for that. The winger looks to have a crucial part to play in Tuchel’s team for the remainder of the season at the very least. As Chelsea looks to bring home its first Club World Cup trophy later this week, there is no doubt Ziyech could single-handedly decide the tournament with his lethal left foot.

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