From winning over Luis Enrique (and Girona) to becoming a generational icon

GironaThese are not easy times in Morocco. A group of anonymous young people called GenZ 212 is leading the protests against the inequality that exists in the country, which has even provoked a reaction from King Mohammed VI, who has presented a series of proposals and an increase in education and healthcare budgets to counteract it. The lack of investment in basic needs, coupled with corruption and a high unemployment rate, contrasts with the investment in sports facilities with an eye toward the Africa Cup of Nations, which will begin in December, and the 2030 World Cup, of which Morocco will be one of the hosts. Angry people in the streets shout: "The stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?"

Girona player Azzedine Ounahi was the first international footballer to publicly support the protests. "He didn't think twice. It was a very human gesture, and it came from him. He didn't wait for anyone to ask him," Leyla Hamed, a journalist from Málaga with Moroccan roots, explains to ARA. Her family is from Ceuta and Tangier. "It hasn't been easy to dedicate myself to journalism, being born here and being a Muslim, but I'm stubborn," she admits. Hamed works at FourFourTwo, and before that he was at Málaga in the Champions League –"the one of the good times"–, The Athletic, ESPN either Brand.

"I didn't expect the footballers to speak out. They've proven to be brave. Some more than others, of course," he says. Behind Ounahi, who shared images of the heavy-handed police crackdown—which has left three people dead, more than 600 injured, and 400 arrested, according to the Interior Ministry—were former Girona goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and Nayef Aguerd.

"He started from the same place and moved forward."

Ounahi has become a symbol for the youth of his country. "They connect a lot because he came from the same place, suffered the same difficulties, and has moved forward. This generation has grown up with big dreams, but without opportunities. Ounahi was born in Casablanca and hasn't abandoned his roots. He hasn't lost his simplicity, despite being a relevant person," the journalist emphasizes, adding: "of playfulness." He also doesn't make excuses. After the 2022 World Cup, where he won the hearts of Luis Enrique, his performance declined, but he was the first to admit it and to verbalize that he hadn't given his best. A year and a half before that World Cup, he was giving his all on the football pitches of the French Third Division, with Avranches. The Moroccan Consul in Girona, Aicha Ben Alami, at a recent reception for the footballer, declared that "Ounahi is an inspirational role model for Moroccan youth."

The Girona midfielder has landed on his feet at Montilivi, where he was voted September's star player, and will be back in action against Oviedo this Saturday (2 PM, DAZN) after suffering a soleus injury. "Ounahi and the other players who have spoken out are acting as a platform, and that's important. We've never seen anything like this here, because celebrities tend to stay on the sidelines. But what's happening is so huge... And it's not a problem that just popped up overnight. Eight pregnant women died in a hospital in Agadir!" It's outrageous to say that young people who criticize the government don't love the country. That's precisely why they're complaining! Because they want to see what they love improve!

Morocco's recent victory in the U-20 World Cup, with Girona B player Mohammed Hamony in attendance, has also served as a showcase for the case. Jinane Ennasri, a Moroccan-born photographer, tweeted on social media: "The title has something much deeper: this generation dreams out loud, questions, and rebuilds. It demands a country rooted in care, dignity, and possibility."

How do we fix all this? "It should be the government that gives in... We need to listen to the people, not restart and arrest. We've seen parents with children in their arms being taken away. You're protesting? Well, to the van. If they think this will increase fear, they're very wrong." Which is what they're achieving. In the friendly against Bahrain (1-0) during this international break, some young people could be seen holding a banner that read: "We have nothing against you." "Young people are considering boycotting both the African Cup and the World Cup, and that could be damaging. The footballers could be harmed. But football has nothing to do with it; people are fighting for their rights. You can't have an empty hospital and inaugurate a stadium in Rabat, inviting officials. It's common sense."