Fekir: How France choice hurt Algerian father, blames agent for failed Liverpool move

Real Betis forward Nabil Fekir has revealed his choice to represent France internationally hurt his father and discussed why his move to Liverpool failed.

Fekir was eligible to play for Algeria and France but chose the latter, a move he confirms hurt his Algerian father.

His father was the first person he spoke to about his choice to pick up the Les Bleus jersey when he had made up his mind.

"He didn’t want it. That’s normal," Fekir told The Guardian. "I understand that perfectly.

"He has all his family there, he grew up there. His whole life was there. It hurt him a bit when I chose France. But that’s life: there are decisions, and that was mine. I take responsibility.

"That was very hard for me. My dad arrived in France the year before I was born; my mum is Algerian but had been there longer. Every year or so I would go to Algeria. I feel French and Algerian."

Although the 29-year-old made the choice to represent France and became a world champion, he admits it was not an easy pick.

"Some people don’t understand that you can have dual nationality, can love two countries at once, you know?" he added.

"And that does complicate things. It was difficult for me. I was young. A lot of people saying France, a lot saying Algeria. Eventually, I chose France, but those were very, very hard moments. That’s life. I don’t regret anything I did."

Fekir also addressed his failed move to Liverpool in 2018. He said the accusations that it failed because of an injury were wrong and blamed his agent - then Jean Pierre Bernes.

"I had a problem with my agent, that’s it. Very simple," he continued.

"Things were not clear, you know. Between him and me. I don’t want to go into details, but it was a problem between my agent and I.

"People then said it was my knee or I-don’t-know-what but that’s just an excuse. I know what really happened. He’s no longer my agent."

However, the forward does not regret not signing for the Premier League's former champions.

"I believe in destiny, you know," he concluded. "If I didn’t sign for Liverpool, it’s because Betis were here waiting for me. It’s a lovely city, with that Arabic spirit, a special club.

"It’s life. I don’t regret anything. I don’t think about the future much. I just live every day and try to enjoy it, play."

Fekir, who rose at the ranks of Lyon academy at one time, was the club’s captain that boasted talented stars like Memphis Depay, Samuel Umtiti and Anthony Martial.