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Journalist
Passionate about football since a young age, becoming a sports journalist quickly became obvious to Hugo. He would later discover a love for the NBA, before exploring other horizons such as Formula 1 and the NFL.
While Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, ill, was absent, Roberto De Zerbi decided to start Bilal Nadir on Sunday, during the reception of Le Havre (5-1). A profitable choice, the young 21-year-old midfielder having scored OM's second goal. A player that the Italian technician really likes since his arrival in Marseille.
For its first match of the year 2025, theABOUT received Le Havre Sunday evening, at the end of the 16th day of Ligue 1. A match largely won by the Olympians (1-5), who had to deal with the absence of one of their indisputable starters, Peter-Emile Hojbjerg. Rather than bringing down Adrien Rabiot up a notch and tenure for example Ismaël Konérecruited for €12M last summer, Roberto DeZerbi decided to launch Bilal Nadiraligned with Valentin Rongier in the double pivot.
“Nadir can become an important player, he is very talented”
« Nadir provided guarantees, he knows the Vélodrome and can become an important player, he is very talented. But I thought of other alternatives, like bringing Adrien Rabiot back down, but I didn't want to remove him from this position which suits him so well. Quentin Merlin, like in Brest by playing Garcia, it was also a solution, but against a team like that in a low block, perhaps he would have had difficulty. He is a player who needs large spaces to attack, he is not a player who will take the ball like that in a fixed position. So the best choice was Nadir. I was really sorry to have to take him out, but we were leading by three goals and I didn't want to risk him taking a second youngster. Otherwise, I don't think I would have released it. », explained Roberto DeZerbi at a press conference.
De Zerbi fell under the spell of Nadir
Author of a good first half punctuated by a goal, his first professionally, Bilal Nadir showed his coach that he was right to trust him. A great story for the 21-year-old midfielder, seriously injured in the knee in January 2024, but extended until June 2026 last March. As indicated by RMC Sport, Bilal Nadir is a player highly appreciated by Roberto DeZerbiwho really likes his profile, as well as his technical and percussion qualities. The Moroccan international hopeful is doing everything to “ trying to match game ideas, to fit in as quickly as possible “, as the player confidedABOUT in a mixed zone.
