Bad Hair Day Least of Issam Jemaa’s Problems

Apparently, Issam Jemaa who came off injured in the defeat versus Sudan has a sprained knee that will keep him out of action for a couple weeks or so. Glad to hear it’s not a tear. Unfortunately, Jemaa is no stranger to knee injuries: He had to withdraw from the last World Cup because of one and has suffered them with his clubs before too. It’s a tad worrying because he’s been one of the few bright spots in our National team as of late. When playing for Tunisia he is a very dynamic and is capable of bringing creativity and a certain element of unexpectedness to our style of play. In a team that sometimes struggles to find inventiveness, what he brings to the table is crucial.

Meanwhile, Hatem Trabelsi remains without a club. The deal with Le Mans that looked like it was signed and sealed fell through. The explanation given by Le Mans was that “the directors and the coach estimate the player’s actual situation does not correspond to the club’s recruitment policy.” Can someone decode that for me? My guess is that he was asking for too much money or that he wanted personal terms in the contract that Le Mans could not accept. As much as I want to see him playing for Marseille I’m sad to hear this news. A guy of his pedigree shouldn’t be out of the soccer scene for this long, it’s a shame. Anyone heard of other rumors?