Soufiane El-Faouzi, the talented midfielder for FC Schalke 04, has made a significant decision regarding his international career by opting to represent the Moroccan national team. Following a goalless draw against SV Elversberg, El-Faouzi spoke about his future in international football and addressed rumors regarding potential interest from the German Football Association (DFB) and a possible connection with the new German national team coach, Jürgen Klopp. Prior to the announcement of Klopp's first DFB squad, El-Faouzi had been touted as a potential candidate for the national team.

When questioned about the rumored interest from the DFB, the 24-year-old midfielder remained somewhat evasive, as reported by RUHR24, stating, "I haven’t heard much about it." He also clarified that he had not engaged in any personal discussions with Klopp. When asked directly about any contact with the coach, he replied, "Not directly." El-Faouzi refrained from stating whether he would have wanted to play for the German national team, leaving his response ambiguous.

Instead, El-Faouzi is set to continue his journey with the Moroccan national team. He made his debut for Morocco in May, where he played for 45 minutes during a friendly match against Burundi, which ended in a 5-0 victory. Since this was not an official match, a change of allegiance to another national team was still an option. However, El-Faouzi has since firmly committed himself to Morocco, expressing, "It was a friendly match. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it, and I had a good connection with the coach," reflecting on his initial experience with the national team. He described his choice as a "decision from the heart."

El-Faouzi is now poised to potentially participate in his first competitive match for Morocco. The team will face Gabon in the Africa Cup qualification on September 25, followed by a match against Lesotho four days later. The Schalke player is eager for playing time: "I’m excited to get involved and hope for some game time." He is closely following the developments of the Moroccan national team, expressing enthusiasm about their recent performances in the last two World Cups. "Morocco has made significant strides recently, and I’m excited to be part of it," El-Faouzi added. Following the qualification matches, Morocco will also play a friendly against Ghana on October 4.

As reported by schalketotal.de.