‘You’re a world-class player, do yourself a favour and fight’ – Emmanuel Petit reveals what he told miserable Chelsea star

Hakim Ziyech
Photo: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Emmanuel Petit has revealed what he told ‘miserable’ Hakim Ziyech about his Chelsea future prior to the World Cup.

Ziyech started just one of Chelsea’s 14 Premier League games before the World Cup break but was one of the stars of the World Cup.

Petit was glad to see Ziyech impress at the World Cup and has revealed what he told the Chelsea forward before the World Cup when he could tell he was ‘so miserable’ at Chelsea.

“When Arsenal beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before the World Cup [in early November], I was working on French television and was on the pitch when I saw Hakim Ziyech running on his own,”Petit told Mega Casino.

“During a break from filming I said to him: ‘Hakim, I don’t recognise you. Where is the player we know? Are you going to stay like this forever, sitting on the bench with terrible body language? You look so miserable.

“You need to come back to the player we saw at Ajax. You’re a world-class player, you need your confidence back. Do yourself a favour and fight. Don’t accept the critics’ reality.

“So many people have criticised you, you need to fight and show some pride. That is the definition of a sportsman. Show some more respect for yourself and don’t accept this situation. Fight’.

“He had a difficult relationship with Morocco, but then everything went right at the World Cup. If you want to be a top player, you need to do things the right way.”