Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was left emotional after Morocco’s World Cup Round of 16 win over Spain, revealing he played through injury.
The 26-year-old Viola midfielder was one of the best on the pitch for the Atlas Lions as they secured a historic result against Spain, taking them to their first ever World Cup quarter-finals. Amrabat has shined for Morocco this tournament and his market value has skyrocketed ahead of the January transfer window.
Speaking to the media after the game, a tearful Amrabat revealed that he played the full 120 minutes of Morocco’s clash with Spain whilst dealing with an injury.
“To the question of whether I was able to play, I’ll tell you that yesterday until 3am I stayed up with the physiotherapist trying to do the impossible. Today I played with injections, but I couldn’t leave my teammates and a whole country. I’m really happy and proud.”
The emotional Fiorentina midfielder underlined the importance of the victory over Spain for the Moroccan people.
“It goes without saying that after a match like that we can only be very proud for our people and for everyone. It is beautiful. I’m not usually emotional, but today was incredibly tough.
“Spain had possession of the ball but we defended, we fought, we gave our lives. I think this is very beautiful for football.”
The 26-year-old Amrabat is suffering from back pain but despite the issue he still managed to play the full 120 minutes of the World Cup clash with Spain, a sign of his incredible resilience.