The Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin has aimed a thinly veiled dig at AC Milan over their handling of Noah Okafor last season.
Okafor arrived at Milan last summer from Red Bull Salzburg and although it was known that he would be a reserve for both the striker and left wing positions, he still managed six goals and three assists in just over 1,000 minutes.
Now the forward is gearing up for the European Championship with Switzerland, who were drawn in Group A. They face a tough task to get through given they have Germany and Hungary, though they should finish at least above Scotland.
Now, Okafor’s national team coach Yakin has spoken about how he seems in the week before the tournament in Germany and he seemed to criticise Milan’s use of him, with his comments relayed by Radio Rossonera.
“Every move also involves great risks, he is rarely a starter with his club. Especially for a striker, it is important to play and his limited playing time is certainly not optimal,” he said.
“His role? I don’t see him much as a number 9 who has to play with his back to goal. He is at his best when he starts from the outside and cuts inside, his speed is enhanced when he has space in front of him. At the moment he lacks a bit of timing in his movements, some mechanisms need to be oiled.”