In the cup final against ex-club
Mohamed Ihattaren has made his professional comeback 358 days after his last cap. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder from Ajax Amsterdam, who went into hiding last autumn, came on as a substitute in the 86th minute against PSV Eindhoven in the cup final. But Ihattaren could no longer influence the result. Coach Erik ten Hag’s team lost 2-1.
For the left foot, who was loaned out from Ajax in the winter until the end of the year including a purchase option, it was also his debut for the Dutch record champions – against his former club. When asked by a journalist whether the substitution was a provocation against Eindhoven, ten Hag answered with incomprehension at a press conference. “Are you crazy? I did it to still win the game,” said the Ajax coach (quoted via “VI“). “Antony is injured, Zakaria Labyad is injured. We didn’t have any alternatives on the right. And you know that Mo, as we’ve seen in training and with the second team, can do something extraordinary in one moment. He can create something out of nothing and be decisive.” In the second team, Ihattaren scored in his first starting XI in early April.
Ihattaren, who was born in Utrecht, had previously played his last professional game on April 24, 2021, at that time still in the service of PSV, where he is the fourth youngest debutant in the club’s history. In the summer that followed, he switched to Juventus Turin for 1.9 million euros, who immediately loaned the offensive power to Sampdoria Genoa. For the Serie A club, however, the once highly regarded talent was never on the pitch, and there was even speculation about the end of his career.
Ihattaren has had the reputation of being a “problem professional” since last summer at the latest. After the end of the 20/21 season, Eindhoven reportedly had been looking for a buyer for Ihattaren for some time. He was singled out at the end of July after a number of agreements had not been honored, according to the club (click here for the news with more details).
Götze, Haller & Co.: The most valuable Eredivisie professionals
Debut: Mohamed Ihattaren. pic.twitter.com/W5Mfjgtmsy
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) April 17, 2022
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