Ait-Nouri father reveals Man City role in Algeria tension

Rayan Ait-Nouri's father has claimed that the Manchester City defender's problems with Algeria began more than a month before his controversial departure from the national-team camp, with his lack of club football at the centre of the first disagreement.

Ait-Nouri was released from Algeria duty on September 26 following an incident during the previous day's 3-1 victory over Zambia.

The 25-year-old had been left out of Brahim Hemdani's starting XI and was twice asked to warm up without eventually being introduced.

His frustration became visible on the bench before an exchange with members of the coaching staff, and the Algerian Football Federation confirmed the following day that he had been sent back to Manchester City.

However, according to Ait-Nouri's father Farouk, tension involving his son and the Algeria setup had developed before Hemdani had even been appointed.

Journalist Rafik Ouahid of El Khabar has reported that Farouk Ait-Nouri told him of an exchange dating back to August 22 involving Algeria assistant coach Anthar Yahia.

Yahia, the former Algeria captain who later joined Hemdani's staff, is said to have initially attempted to contact Ait-Nouri directly to discuss his situation at Manchester City.

When the defender did not respond, Yahia allegedly contacted his father instead.

According to the account, Farouk was told that Ait-Nouri's limited playing time at City could put his place in Algeria's September squad at risk.

The timing reportedly angered the player's father, with Algeria still without a permanent head coach at that stage and Ait-Nouri only at the beginning of the domestic season.

Farouk has since confirmed that he spoke to Ouahid, although he has also attempted to calm the wider controversy.

He said that he did not want the affair to become too significant and stressed his family's attachment to Algeria, while maintaining that he believes his son was "unfairly treated".

Importantly, Ait-Nouri himself was not involved in the conversation between Yahia and his father.

The account therefore does not establish that the August exchange directly caused the later events against Zambia, but it suggests that relations were already strained before the public dispute in September.

Ait-Nouri's lack of minutes at City was also genuine at the time.

He was an unused substitute in the Community Shield and City's opening Premier League fixtures before eventually making his first competitive appearance of the season from the bench against Porto in the Champions League.

The disagreement became public against Zambia.

Hemdani preferred Brighton & Hove Albion's Jaouen Hadjam at left-back, and Ait-Nouri remained among the substitutes despite being sent to warm up during the second half.

Reports in Algeria have differed over exactly what followed.

Some accounts claim the City defender refused to resume his warm-up after Hemdani changed his plans, while others have disputed parts of the footage and narrative that subsequently circulated online.

The federation confirmed only that Ait-Nouri had been released from the camp and would return to his club.

Further reports have suggested that Hemdani and Yahia expect an apology before considering recalling the defender, although that condition has not been publicly confirmed by the FAF.

Ait-Nouri is now expected to address the controversy himself after Algeria's game against Niger on October 6.

That intervention could prove significant given how many versions of the incident have emerged from staff members, journalists and the player's entourage.

Until then, his father's account changes one important part of the timeline.

What initially appeared to be a dispute born entirely from one frustrating evening on the Algeria bench may have been preceded by weeks of tension - and Ait-Nouri's struggle for minutes at Manchester City appears to have been at the centre of the first disagreement.

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