A fast player suspects favouritism when he starts on the bench. A bus ticket and a conversation about defensive duties complicate his view of the decision.
01Read the Arabic story
لِمَاذَا أَبْقَى الْمُدَرِّبُ لَاعِبًا عَلَى مَقْعَدِ الِاحْتِيَاطِ؟
عِنْدَمَا عَلَّقَ الْمُدَرِّبُ قَائِمَةَ الْفَرِيقِ، وَجَدْتُ اسْمِي بَيْنَ الِاحْتِيَاطِيِّينَ. كُنْتُ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ زِيَادٍ، الَّذِي اخْتَارَهُ لِلْبَدْءِ فِي الْهُجُومِ، وَسَجَّلْتُ أَهْدَافًا أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُ فِي التَّدْرِيبِ طَوَالَ الشَّهْرِ الْمَاضِي. رَأَيْتُهُمَا يَتَحَدَّثَانِ وَيَضْحَكَانِ قَبْلَ إِعْلَانِ الْقَائِمَةِ، فَاعْتَقَدْتُ أَنَّ الْقُرْبَ مِنَ الْمُدَرِّبِ أَهَمُّ مِنَ الْمَهَارَةِ. جَلَسْتُ عَلَى الْمَقْعَدِ وَأَنَا أُرَاقِبُ كُلَّ تَمْرِيرَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ مِنْ زِيَادٍ.
بَعْدَ الْمُبَارَاةِ، طَلَبْتُ تَفْسِيرًا. فَتَحَ الْمُدَرِّبُ دَفْتَرَهُ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى تَدْرِيبَيْنِ عَلَى تَنْظِيمِ الدِّفَاعِ لَمْ أَحْضُرْهُمَا. كُنْتُ أُغَادِرُ مُبَكِّرًا لِأَلْحَقَ بِالْحَافِلَةِ الْأَخِيرَةِ، وَقَدْ أَخْبَرْتُهُ بِذَلِكَ. أَخْرَجْتُ تَذْكِرَةَ الْحَافِلَةِ مِنْ حَقِيبَتِي، كَأَنَّهَا تَكْفِي لِتَغْيِيرِ الْقَرَارِ. قَالَ إِنَّهُ لَا يَشُكُّ فِي سَبَبِ غِيَابِي، لَكِنَّ مَعْرِفَةَ السَّبَبِ لَا تُعَوِّضُ مَا فَاتَنِي.
وَضَّحَ أَنَّ زِيَادًا يَعْرِفُ مَتَى يَعُودُ لِمُسَاعَدَةِ الدِّفَاعِ وَكَيْفَ يُنَبِّهُ زَمِيلَهُ إِلَى الْمَسَاحَةِ الْخَالِيَةِ. أَمَّا أَنَا فَكُنْتُ أَنْتَظِرُ الْكُرَةَ قُرْبَ مَرْمَى الْخَصْمِ حَتَّى بَعْدَ فُقْدَانِهَا. قَالَ: «أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى سُرْعَتِكَ، وَإِلَى فَرِيقٍ لَا يَتْرُكُ خَلْفَهُ فَرَاغًا». ثُمَّ اعْتَرَفَ بِأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَشْرَحَ مَعَايِيرَ الِاخْتِيَارِ قَبْلَ إِعْلَانِ الْأَسْمَاءِ.
لَمْ يُصْبِحِ الْقَرَارُ مُرِيحًا، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعُدْ بِلَا مَعْنًى. اقْتَرَحْتُ أَنْ أَحْضُرَ قَبْلَ التَّدْرِيبِ بِرُبْعِ سَاعَةٍ لِمُرَاجَعَةِ الْخُطَّةِ. وَافَقَ الْمُدَرِّبُ عَلَى تَجْرِبَةِ ذَلِكَ يَوْمَ الثُّلَاثَاءِ، وَطَلَبَ مِنِّي مُرَاقَبَةَ حَرَكَةِ زِيَادٍ دُونَ كُرَةٍ. فِي الْبَيْتِ، نَظَرْتُ فِي جَدْوَلِ الْحَافِلَاتِ، وَاخْتَرْتُ رِحْلَةً أَبْكَرَ، مَعَ أَنَّهَا سَتَتْرُكُ لِي وَقْتًا أَقَلَّ لِلْغَدَاءِ.
فِي السَّبْتِ التَّالِي، بَقِيتُ احْتِيَاطِيًّا حَتَّى الدَّقَائِقِ الْأَخِيرَةِ. دَخَلْتُ وَتَرَاجَعْتُ مَعَ زَمِيلِي عِنْدَمَا فَقَدْنَا الْكُرَةَ مِنْ جَدِيدٍ، لَكِنِّي لَمْ أُسَجِّلْ هَدَفًا. انْتَهَتِ الْمُبَارَاةُ بِالتَّعَادُلِ، وَمَا زِلْتُ أَرْغَبُ فِي اللَّعِبِ مُنْذُ الْبِدَايَةِ. وَعِنْدَ جَمْعِ الْكُرَاتِ، سَأَلْتُ الْمُدَرِّبَ عَنْ مَوْقِعِي فِي الْهَجْمَةِ الْأَخِيرَةِ، بَدَلًا مِنْ سُؤَالِهِ عَنْ عَدَدِ الدَّقَائِقِ الَّتِي مَنَحَهَا لِزِيَادٍ.
Show English translationHide English translation
When the coach posted the team list, I found my name among the substitutes. I was faster than Ziyad, whom he had chosen to start in attack, and had scored more goals in training throughout the previous month. I had seen them talking and laughing before the announcement, so I thought closeness to the coach mattered more than skill. I sat on the bench watching every misplaced pass Ziyad made.
After the match, I asked for an explanation. The coach opened his notebook and pointed to two sessions on organising the defence that I had missed. I had been leaving early to catch the last bus, and I had told him this. I took my bus ticket from my bag, as though it were enough to change the decision. He said he did not doubt my reason for being absent, but knowing the reason did not replace what I had missed.
He explained that Ziyad knew when to come back to help the defence and how to alert a teammate to open space. I, however, had been waiting near the opponents’ goal even after we lost the ball. “I need your speed, and a team that leaves no gap behind it,” he said. Then he admitted that he should have explained the selection criteria before announcing the names.
The decision did not become comfortable, but it no longer seemed meaningless. I suggested arriving fifteen minutes before training to review the plan. The coach agreed to try this on Tuesday and asked me to watch Ziyad’s movement without the ball. At home, I checked the bus timetable and chose an earlier service, although it would leave me less time for lunch.
The following Saturday, I remained a substitute until the final minutes. I came on and dropped back with my teammate when we lost the ball again, but I did not score. The match ended in a draw, and I still wanted to play from the start. While collecting the balls, I asked the coach about my position in the last attack instead of asking how many minutes he had given Ziyad.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الِاحْتِيَاطِيِّينَ | the substitutes |
| تَمْرِيرَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ | a misplaced pass |
| تَنْظِيمِ الدِّفَاعِ | organising the defence |
| لِأَلْحَقَ | to catch |
| تَكْفِي | is enough |
| لَا تُعَوِّضُ | does not replace |
| الْمَسَاحَةِ الْخَالِيَةِ | the open space |
| مَعَايِيرَ الِاخْتِيَارِ | selection criteria |
| لِمُرَاجَعَةِ الْخُطَّةِ | to review the plan |
| بِالتَّعَادُلِ | in a draw |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Use the Arabic text to distinguish facts, motives and supported inferences. Open the English support when needed.
What to remember
- A reasonable explanation for missing practice does not replace the knowledge gained there; the coach also accepts responsibility for unclear criteria.
- The narrator’s last question suggests a more practical response, although he remains disappointed about playing time.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Lakinna and Lakin in Arabic: Two Patterns for But
لَكِنَّ مَعْرِفَةَ السَّبَبِ لَا تُعَوِّضُ مَا فَاتَنِي
Follow lakinna as the coach contrasts a valid reason with the effect of missed practice.
Ma Zala and La Yazalu: Still in Arabic
وَمَا زِلْتُ أَرْغَبُ فِي اللَّعِبِ مُنْذُ الْبِدَايَةِ
Read ma ziltu as a wish that continues despite the narrator’s changed understanding.
