How did you end up in Sint-Truiden?
“When my contract in Turkey ended, I found a new club, in D2 in Dubai. I was even already there to sign but I received a phone call from Andrea Pinto (Editor’s note: the technical director of STVV) and Felice Mazzù. It changed my mind.”
What did Mazzù tell you?
“That he was missing a guy like me in his attack and that he could use my experience. That’s why I wanted to come.”
Sint-Truiden supporters are already afraid that your arrival will be a risk for the atmosphere in the club.
“If we respect who I am, there is no risk. When the respect is mutual, there is never a problem. I am who I am and that will not change. A lot of things have been written about me . True but also lies. Everything that happened in the Antwerp locker room came out in the newspapers. There was an army of journalists ready to write negative things about me. something happens, it will stay in internal.”
gullThe bag of Antwerp? It was the only one I had. People are always looking for something negative with me.
You still arrived in Sint-Truiden with an Antwerp bag.
“That’s why I don’t read the newspapers anymore. It’s one of my girlfriend’s bags, the only one I had here in Belgium. My other suitcases are still in Turkey. Besides, I wasn’t yet officially a Sint-Truiden player at that time, the contract was not signed. They are always looking for something negative with me. In Turkey and France, we don’t make so much fuss.
Why come back to Belgium then?
“Because I felt that I still had something to prove. I want to show my qualities. I believe in the football that Felice Mazzù wants to play.”
Despite the slap received in the Cup against Genk mardi (0-4) ?
-“I was in the stands and I saw a young group playing good football. The problem was realism. In the first half hour, Sint-Truiden could have killed the match but Genk was more effective.”
Are you ready to play?
“Yes, I played another 90 minutes in Türkiye on December 14. I have continued to talk since then. But it will be up to the coach to decide if I am ready.”
gullI came back to Belgium because I still have something to prove here.
With the number 10.
“Yes, but don’t see it as a desire to put myself forward. My favorite number, 7, was taken by Brahimi and I chose another.”
Since leaving Antwerp in the summer of 2022, you have played for… seven clubs (Kortrijk, Wydad Casablanca, Hatayspor, Metz, Sakaryaspor, Karagümrük and now Sint-Truiden). How do you explain it?
“Don’t forget that before that, I had played five years in a row at Antwerp. Afterwards, it’s true that I knew a lot of clubs because each time I wanted to relaunch my career at a higher level. From this point of view, Sint-Truiden is the best choice I could make.”
Can you avoid relegation with Sint-Truiden in the next four months?
“Yes. Sint-Truiden is a first division club. The situation is not ideal at the moment (Editor’s note: Sint-Truiden is 14th, four points behind the first one saved for sure). Every time I played against this club in the past it was a difficult match. With Antwerp, we even lost at Bosuil (2-3). I remember it well. It was a hell of a team with Bezus and Kamada. It’s not going as well this season but I have confidence in maintaining it.”
