Exclusive: Feyenoord U17 coach praises Egyptian players in Europe

CAIRO_15 September 2017 :Melvin Boel, Feyenoord’s U17 international development coach said during an exclusive interview with Egypt Today that Egyptian players’ experience in Europe’s top leagues will add value to football in Egypt.

“I think it is really good for Egyptian football that players make their move to the biggest leagues,” he told Egypt Today.

Asked about Mohamed Salah’s and Ahmed Hegazi’s performances with their clubs, Boel said, “Salah starts very well; and, also, my friend Ahmed Hegazi is playing for West Bromwich at the moment.”

Feyenoord, current Dutch champions, return to the Champions League, where they play alongside Napoli, Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City in Group F. Boel commented on the draw, saying, “we always hoped for a group in which you can be competitive. But for the fans, too, you hope for big teams. This group has both.”

Asked about Feyenoord’s loss 0-4 in their home stadium against Manchester City, Boel replied, “Manchester City is one of the biggest team in the UK and Europe.”

Boel believes that home games will help the team during the competition despite losing their first game. He said, “the Kuip (home stadium) can be a scary place for opponents. Fans will support the team for 90 minutes. This support can give the players extra energy.”

Feyenoord started their campaign to defend their title in the Netherlands well. Boel spoke about the team, saying, “Feyenoord started the new season with a very organized outlook. During the summer period, we sold some players to big clubs, but we also got back a few players.”

Feyenoord tops the Dutch League after four fixtures with 12 points from four victories.

Boel added, “the organization of the team is strong with more and more experienced players. I think the experience of the Champions League football can help the team develop better and better. We will fight until the end to win the Dutch Championship.”

Boel revealed his worry after Neymar’s transfer to Paris Saint Germain for €222m, saying, “for small countries, like the Netherlands, this is really crazy to understand. The Netherlands’ top three teams (Feyenoord, Ajax Amsterdam, and PSV Eindhoven) have a combined budget that is smaller than the transfer of Neymar. I think the UEFA and FIFA need to make a statement around transfers like this, because the future of football will be in danger, not only in Holland but in many more countries.”

Boel trusts Feyenoord’s ability to keep working on their youth teams despite the recent changes in football: “for us, nothing will change. We will work daily as hard as possible in our youth academy to develop the talents for the future—talents that are able to play in the first team and move after a few years for a good transfer price to one of the bigger leagues.”

Feyenoord launched a football academy in Egypt last June, and Boel attended the opening ceremony alongside many Egyptian stars like Mohamed Salah, Ahmed Hegazi and Sherif Ekramy.