Think Forward.

"Mbappé in Madrid, Hakimi in Paris: A Tale of Two Paths" 6353

Aziz Daouda, 3 mon.
He was meant to be the ultimate Galáctico of the second quarter of the 21st century—the new chosen one of the Bernabéu and its demanding, football-savvy crowd. Long hailed as the jewel of French football, everything pointed to, and even made us believe, that he was destined to leave a lasting mark on Real Madrid’s history—perhaps even surpassing Zidane, the other legendary Frenchman to wear white. But football has a logic of its own, one that remains impenetrable to us mere mortals. And we’ve just been reminded of that, as not even Florentino Pérez the mythical president with a fabulous track record seems able to escape it. Barely arrived, Kylian Mbappé is already disappointing. A thousand and one excuses will be made for his early struggles. But it’s getting harder and harder to find new ones. His adaptation is sluggish, his play sterile. He seems lost on the pitch. His teammates can’t seem to connect with him. A team that, just a season ago, was steamrolling opponents now looks disjointed on the same pitch, suddenly unfamiliar. The effectiveness of the squad—with Mbappé as the only new addition, has evaporated. Quietly, but increasingly openly, the Madrid locker room is beginning to ask questions. Then came the slap in the face, twice delivered by Arsenal. The team was lifeless, their rhythm gone, goals pouring in from all sides. Real Madrid’s legendary efficiency has turned into a mirage. Did they bet on the wrong man? The long-running Mbappé saga finally concluded with a fanfare in 2024. The fans expected a new Cristiano Ronaldo. What they’re discovering is a player lacking inspiration, who doesn’t fit into the team’s collective structure, incapable of making the difference, and throwing off his teammates’ rhythm. He’s scored a few goals, but without brilliance or leadership. The weight of the merengue jersey seems too heavy for the once-wonderkid from Bondy. What remains is disillusionment and heartbreak. Real Madrid was brought to its knees in the Champions League. And it stings. Talk is growing about the president’s obsession with Mbappé, a fixation that finally came to fruition, but to what end? Pérez and his golden boy are now on the hot seat. And if Real finishes the season empty-handed, the consequences could be dire. The risk is real. Even Ancelotti doesn’t seem to believe in his team anymore. At the end of the match against Arsenal, his expression betrayed him. He wants out, probably sooner than we think. The crisis at Real is here, and as always in such cases, the coach is the first to go. The weakest link in the chain. Mbappé at Real is unremarkable. He tends to drop too deep, lacks chemistry with the team, and his body language says it all: less sharp, less committed, almost withdrawn. Vinícius and Bellingham, dragged down, have lost their spark. They’ve become ordinary, the rest of the team unremarkable. The heated argument and near-physical altercation between Mbappé and Vinícius in the tunnel speaks volumes about the tension and frustration inside the club. Has Mbappé been a curse on this team? Meanwhile, in Paris, his friend Achraf Hakimi by first name, the one Real let go has become the true leader of PSG. And PSG without Mbappé looks better than ever, even making it to the semifinals against another English team, no less. The irony is thick. It is in Paris that the counter-example shines the brightest. Achraf Hakimi, long relegated to the media background during the Mbappé era at PSG, has emerged this season as the true leader of the Parisian club. Defensively solid, offensively decisive, the Moroccan fullback is delivering top-class performances one after another. Scoring, assisting, orchestrating from the right flank, Hakimi is carrying a rebuilding PSG—with love, commitment, solidarity, selflessness, and ruthless efficiency. His stats speak for themselves: a record number of interceptions, crucial goals in the Champions League. His consistency commands respect. The captain’s armband is well-earned. More than anything, it’s his mental and tactical impact that stands out: Hakimi is no longer just a modern fullback; he’s become the cornerstone of PSG’s project. Is this the revenge of a man who was perhaps underestimated when he shared the same flank with Mbappé? Arriving at PSG with the reputation of a “Real Madrid academy product” after a stint in Germany, Hakimi now seems to remind the Bernabéu of the strategic mistake they made letting him go. Madrid sought the glitter of Mbappé but perhaps what they truly lacked was the solidity and loyalty of Achraf Hakimi. Modern football’s irony sometimes boils down to a single name, mispronounced at just the right time. While Kylian Mbappé had been hailed as the savior of Real Madrid after years of buildup, it is Achraf Hakimi, who stayed in Paris, who now stands out as one of Europe’s most influential players. Two opposite trajectories, two readings of the same summer of 2024, and perhaps an analytical error that may prove hard to correct. Mbappé chose the prestige of Madrid. He probably believed he could lift the European trophy more easily with the club that’s won it the most. He was likely tired of PSG’s repeated failures. Hakimi, on the other hand, chose continuity, stability, and a playing project that fully embraced him. Today, the stats and performances seem to vindicate the Moroccan. His influence goes beyond the pitch: he’s become a technical and mental leader, respected by the locker room, trusted by the coach, and adored by the fans. And what if it’s Hakimi who ends up lifting the trophy in 2025, with the very PSG that Mbappé once left with apparent disdain? For that to happen, Hakimi will need to shine again, this time against another English club, the same type that humiliated Mbappé, Ancelotti, Pérez, and all of Madrid. While Paris celebrates, in Madrid, doubt is creeping in. Did they pay too much for a player whose game depends almost entirely on individual bursts of brilliance? And above all, how do you make multiple stars of similar stature coexist without eroding the cohesion of a group that used to be united and solid? It would still be premature to write off Mbappé and his Spanish adventure—his raw talent remains undeniable. But this rough beginning raises an important question: what if the future of football no longer lies in glitz and glamour, but in game intelligence, versatility, and collective discipline? If that’s the case, Achraf Hakimi may already be one of its most complete symbols.
Aziz Daouda

Aziz Daouda

Directeur Technique et du Développement de la Confédération Africaine d'Athlétisme. Passionné du Maroc, passionné d'Afrique. Concerné par ce qui se passe, formulant mon point de vue quand j'en ai un. Humaniste, j'essaye de l'être, humain je veux l'être. Mon histoire est intimement liée à l'athlétisme marocain et mondial. J'ai eu le privilège de participer à la gloire de mon pays .


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Theurgy 24

Tupan, 1 h.
Theurgy (Greek: θεουργία, theourgía, “divine work”) is the sacred art of invoking and communing with the divine through ritual acts, moral purification, and contemplative discipline. Emerging from the spiritual philosophy of late Neoplatonism, especially as formulated by Iamblichus (c. 250–325 CE), theurgy is distinguished from other forms of magic by its noble ideal - the soul’s ascension and union (ἕνωσις, henosis) with the divine source. Unlike goetia, which seeks to manipulate material outcomes, theurgy is fundamentally initiatory and redemptive. It engages the practitioner in a disciplined ascent through the metaphysical hierarchy of existence, beginning in the sensory world and leading toward the transcendent unity of the One. This ascent is made possible through divine grace and ritual participation in the cosmic order. The theurgist operates within a universe conceived as a great chain of being (σειρά, seira), extending from the indescribable source through the divine intellect (νοῦς, nous), the soul (ψυχή, psyche), and the celestial intelligences, down to the elements of the material world. Through sacred rites, one may ascend these levels of reality by re-establishing communion between the soul and its divine archetype. At the heart of theurgical practice lies the invocation of spiritual intelligences—gods, archangels, planetary powers, and cosmic intermediaries—through symbolic actions, sacred statements, and hieratical rituals. These acts are not merely symbolic or theatrical, but sacramental: they are performed to align human activity with the divine will and to reflect the eternal order of the cosmos within the temporal world. Iamblichus stressed that such union with the gods could not be attained through philosophical reasoning alone. Rather, one must engage in ritual action using sacred symbols, divine names, and purificatory rites to render the soul receptive to the divine presence. The practice of theurgy was closely tied to philosophical ethics and interior purification. The theurgist was expected to live a disciplined life, cultivating virtue, moderation, and piety. This internal preparation was as crucial as the external rite, for the soul must be made capable of bearing divine illumination. Through repeated engagement with divine acts, the practitioner refines the spiritual vehicle and becomes gradually elevated to recognize the higher realities without distortion. Historically, theurgy developed as a synthesis of Platonic metaphysics, Chaldean oracles, Egyptian temple rituals, and mystery initiations. While rooted in the classical world, its influence extended into the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Figures such as Marsilio Ficino and Giordano Bruno drew heavily on theurgical principles in their Hermetic and Neoplatonic revivals. In modern esotericism, especially within orders such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, theurgical ideas persist under the structure of ritual magic, planetary invocations, and Qabalistic ascent. The ultimate goal of the theurgist is apotheosis—not in the sense of personal glorification, but in the restoration of the soul to its divine pattern, beyond all individuation. As Iamblichus declares in his treatise On the Mysteries: “Theurgy unites us to the gods, not through thought, but through divine acts.” In this sense, theurgy is not merely a practice, but a sacred path—a divine remembrance enacted through the body, soul, and spirit, leading the practitioner not toward mastery of the world, but toward reintegration with the divine fullness (πλήρωμα, pleroma) from which all emanates.

Morocco, History, and Geography: The Foundations of Political Reality and Territorial Integrity... 291

Aziz Daouda, 2 d.
Politics cannot be separated from history or geography. It consists of a set of actions and decisions aimed at organizing a society internally, as well as in its relations with the rest of the world. It is always situated within a context shaped by the two fundamental dimensions of history and geography, which are by no means mere backdrops but rather provide the framework within which political projects, conflicts, and developments unfold. Politics may be influenced by an ideology—born of a philosophy—or simply shaped by a given context, but such influence rarely lasts. History plays a fundamental role in understanding political phenomena. A country’s institutions, laws, and values are rooted in its collective memory, an inheritance made up of major events, breaks, or continuities with the past. Borders, for example, are often drawn following wars or treaties, the outcome of ancient or recent conflicts. They remain visible marks of past rivalries, defeats, victories, and compromises. Relations—whether of solidarity or rivalry—between nations, regions, or communities are explained in light of shared or divergent histories. The present Kingdom of Morocco cannot be understood without reference to its millennial origins, to the centuries-old Sharifian Empire, nor to the successive dynasties that shaped its relationship to religion, allegiance, and the centralization of power throughout different eras. Similarly, geography significantly influences the choices and constraints of public policies. The distribution of natural resources conditions economic development, territorial organization, and power relations. Relief, climate, and access to maritime routes determine possibilities for urbanization, agriculture, communication, and defense. Border situations impose specific diplomatic and security policies, while landlocked or insular areas require tailored strategies. Some authors even describe Morocco as an “island country” due to its geographical configuration. It is therefore inconceivable to conceive of effective or legitimate politics without taking history and geography into account. Every choice, reform, or political ambition must be based on a deep understanding of the territory and collective memory; ignoring one or the other exposes one to illusion, misunderstanding, or even failure. Regarding the Sahara, referred to as the “Western Sahara,” the geography of this region is undeniably contiguous to Morocco, physically, demographically, and historically: the Saharan populations have largely contributed to the country’s evolution. Its history was written through the successive allegiances of its tribes to the sultans of Morocco, and the Sharifian kingdom thus constitutes a nation-state established long before the contemporary era. Weakened by having missed the crucial turn of the industrial revolution, the Sharifian Empire was dissected from south to north, but also from the east. The so-called Western Sahara was annexed by Spain, which exercised colonial control there from 1884 to 1975. This situation facilitated France’s domination over territories grouped into French West Africa, part of which later became Mauritania. France also appropriated the eastern part of the Sharifian Empire, annexed de facto to its departments conquered from the Ottoman Empire and called French Algeria. The remainder was placed under French protectorate, while northern Morocco came under Spanish rule. Independence, achieved in 1956, and the gradual decolonization of Sidi Ifni and Tarfaya concerned other regions only later. On November 28, 1960, France authorized the proclamation of Mauritania’s independence—a region then claimed by Morocco, as were territories under Spanish control that Morocco considered its own. At that time, there was a Moroccan ministry called the “Ministry of Mauritanian and Saharan Affairs,” headed by Mohammed Fal Ould Oumeir, a representative of those territories. From 1963 onwards, the kingdom raised the issue of the Spanish Sahara before the Decolonization Commission. The situation became complicated when newly created Mauritania also claimed the territory, notably to pressure Morocco, which did not recognize Mauritanian independence until 1969—nine years after its proclamation. Morocco continued to claim the Spanish Sahara peacefully, preventing the Liberation Army from pursuing military actions in the region. In 1973, the creation of the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro) marked a new stage. This movement initially aimed to unite the Saharan territory with the “motherland.” But in a context of regional rivalries and ideological tensions, the Saharan question was instrumentalized by various actors. Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya played a decisive role in the rise of the separatist Polisario, supporting and arming the movement in a "revolutionary" and pan-Arabist logic, while seeking to destabilize the Moroccan monarchy. Later, Gaddafi himself admitted having made a “strategic mistake” in backing this group, which remains a destabilizing factor in the region today. In 1975, a peaceful turning point occurred: bolstered by the International Court of Justice’s opinion recognizing ties of allegiance between Saharan tribes and Moroccan sultans, the late King Hassan II launched the Green March to general surprise. This mobilization pushed Spain to withdraw from Laâyoune in favor of Morocco, which immediately reclaimed the territory. Mauritania, although having occupied adjacent zones, ultimately withdrew, leaving Morocco alone against the Polisario Front, actively supported by Algeria, which hosted, armed, financed, and elevated the movement into a “republic.” Houari Boumédiène’s Algeria exploited the situation to weaken its Moroccan neighbor, even calling the Saharan issue a “thorn in Morocco’s side,” a way of exacting revenge for the crushing defeat in 1963. This dispute has often overshadowed the deep history of ties between Morocco and these territories under Sharifian authority well before the colonial era. For Morocco, territorial integrity rests firmly on the constants of history and geography—major arguments. The rest is merely a temporary construction without foundation, destined to fade into oblivion in the near future. Moroccans know this very well… Perhaps not everyone else…