Slovacko’s Hanoverian in an interview
Despite being only 22 years old, Merchas Doski, who was born in Hanover, has already experienced a lot in his short professional career. A few years ago it was hardly foreseeable that the left-back would even make it into professional football, it was almost illusory. His story describes the path from amateur football in Lower Saxony to the Europa Conference League. At Transfermarkt he talks about his path, professionalism and humility.
Football invites you to dream, football writes wondrous stories, football turns strangers into heroes. All of these sentences reflect Doski’s previous career in a nutshell. Two years ago, the native of Hanover was still in the lowlands of Lower Saxony amateur football – from the youth of Arminia Hanover he went to 1. FC Germania Egestorf II and Heeßer SV. He earns his living as a bricklayer, and yet he does not give up his dream of playing professional football.
“The most important thing in life is a good mindset. I got up at 5 a.m. every day, worked on the construction site until the afternoon and then went to the gym or had normal team training. Over the years I’ve always told myself that dreams are worth believing in because eventually they will come true. The dream of professional football existed even in the national league. I had to listen to so many sayings that had the same content: Merchas, stop dreaming, go to work, professional football is for professional footballers and not for hobby footballers. Those words motivated me even more,” explains Doski, who can call himself exactly that today: a professional footballer. Since this season he has been under contract with European Cup contenders 1. FC Slovacko in the Czech Premier League.
Doski: “Put me a glass of milk, you’ll make me happy”
Doski, for example, emphasizes his consistently good diet even in amateur football. “I can understand that for many it’s part of the game to grab a beer after the game, for me it was never something. I’ve always said put a bottle of mineral water or a glass of milk in front of me, you’ll make me happy with that. I also consistently avoided fast food,” he says with a laugh.
For the 2019/20 season, Doski switched to the then upper division club MTV Eintracht Celle and immediately became a regular player. “From then on I knew that stepping into a regional league or the third division was only a stone’s throw away. So I trained even harder,” says the winger. As a result of the development, Doski came to a decision: he doesn’t want to be accused of not having tried to get into professional football – and so he organized a trial training session with the reserves of the then Austrian second division club Wacker Innsbruck. Because of the skills he has shown, the traditional club signs him. His wish: To somehow get a taste of professional football with a lot of diligence, discipline and ambition. But it doesn’t stop at just a whiff.
From the first moment in Innsbruck I knew that I was really living my dream.
Due to injury problems, the then 20-year-old slipped into the professional squad and was allowed to celebrate his debut in Austria’s second division against Blau-Weiss Linz. Two games later, his development reached its peak when he scored his first goal of the season from a direct free kick. To this day he can’t believe his luck. He says: “From the first moment in Innsbruck I knew that now I’m really living my dream. What could be nicer than being able to play football every day and getting paid for it? In fact, the first few weeks were unusual because I wasn’t used to sleeping late as my internal clock kept waking me up at 5am.”
Doski about coach Bierofka: “It was surreal for me”
He remembers the training sessions with the then Wacker trainer Daniel Bierofka with great pleasure. “It was surreal for me because all of a sudden I was being coached by a Bundesliga legend. I really soaked up every piece of advice he gave me like a sponge,” said the German-Iraqi, who was not used to having football boots provided by the club and not having to buy them separately. “For me, it is still not a matter of course when the outfitter makes shoes available to me. Especially considering how expensive original football boots are. I remember the times when I wore Deichmann Victory shoes and now I can wear the very expensive soccer shoes. An indescribable feeling.”
In the second professional season for Doski, there is a decisive turn within the traditional club. Due to major financial problems, Wacker Innsbruck decided to enter into a partnership with investor Mikhail Ponomarev, who secured the continuation of gaming operations with the help of a bridging loan. At this moment one believes in a brighter future for the club. But there is no positive effect, on the contrary, Innsbruck’s debts continue to increase to the extent that the club can no longer pay the salaries of the professionals. As a result, a large number of players exercised the right to terminate the contract prematurely. Among these players is Doski, who decides to continue his career in the Czech Republic.
Doski left Innsbruck in the summer of 2022, where he is fighting for the ball with Kapfenberg’s Iharosum
Doski will sign a three-year contract with Slovacko in the summer of 2022. At the still young club from the small town of Uherské Hradiště, which was only founded in 2000, he immediately fought for a regular place. An important contact for the Lower Saxony is the former Bundesliga professional and current Slovacko captain Michal Kadlec. “Michal could be aloof and arrogant given his vast experience, but he isn’t. He’s the complete opposite. He was there for me from day one and also helped me with organizational things. On the pitch, I benefit enormously from his experience. In every session he gives me tips and tricks on how I can become an even better player. The club can’t have a better captain like him,” says Doski gratefully.
Doski suddenly against Fenerbahce, Cologne & Co.: “There are no words”
In relation to the Fortuna Liga, adjustment problems or an adjustment phase are two words that Doski can’t do anything with on the pitch, because in 16 games the 22-year-old has been on the pitch 14 times and scored three goals. The move to the Czech Republic was worth it, also because the winger was able to get a taste of international air. Slovacko, who were Czech Cup winners last season, missed out on the Europa League group stage against Fenerbahce but were allowed to play against Partizan Belgrade, 1. FC Köln and OGC Nice in the group stage of the Conference League. “There are no words that can express my inner joy. A few years ago I was still playing in the national league and now I was able to play in front of 50,000 people in the Rhein-Energie Stadium. How crazy is that? In games like this I really enjoy every moment, I even accept the insults or whistles with thanks, because they show me that I’ve really arrived in professional football.”
Merchas Doski at Slovacko vs Fenerbahce’s Miguel Crespo
Doski rules out the possibility that he could take off because of his newly gained status. “It is important that you always remain true to yourself and maintain your character. Although I might earn more now, 20 euros is a lot of money for me. I’m also not the type to spend money on luxury items. Let’s be honest, the time on a 40 euro watch is the same as on a 40,000 euro watch. Maybe at some point there will be a moment when I say I want to treat myself to something today, but at the moment I’m putting the money aside and saving,” emphasizes the defensive player and adds: “What surprised me a little is the fact that In the run-up to the Cologne game, I received a lot of inquiries from friends who hadn’t been interested in me for years and now suddenly thought I could do something good for them with VIP tickets or jerseys. My tip to youth players: take care of our environment, keep it clean and only surround yourself with positive people.”
In the meantime, Doski can also call himself a current national player. At the end of September he makes his debut for his parents’ home country – Iraq. He is still impressed by the impressions of his debut against Oman. “For my parents in particular, the debut was something very special. You fled to Germany because of the war. When I found out about the nomination, everyone shed tears. Football is extremely important to the people of Iraq. It stands for hope and belief in a better life. People may not have much, but they support us with an incredible amount of love. Every home game is like a cauldron, people stand there for over 90 minutes and give everything.”
Doski: “Suddenly I had over 20,000 followers”
A positive side effect of the debut: the number of followers on Merchas Doski’s Instagram account increased significantly. “All of a sudden I had over 20,000 followers and I wondered where they all come from. I receive fan mail and messages every day. For me it is also a matter of course to write back to everyone. I can’t understand players who show arrogance. We also have the fans to thank for the fact that we are football professionals, and I see it as a duty to say thank you in the form of autograph cards or photos,” emphasizes Doski.
Against the background that there are still attacks and unrest in Iraq, he knows what a privilege he has as a professional soccer player in Europe. Accordingly, it is a big dream for Doski to represent his country at next year’s Asian Cup and cause an upset. “War is just plain horror for every country on earth and if I could only wish for one thing, it would be that we could all live in peace with one another. When you put on the national jersey you are automatically motivated, you don’t need any extra motivation. I think we can play a good role in the Asian Cup, but first we have to get through the group stage and then we’ll see what’s next,” says Doski.
The young professional is a little uncomfortable when, because of his unusual path, he is asked that he is a role model for players who are in the same situation as he was two years ago. “I’m not better just because I’m a professional footballer now. Nevertheless, I would like to say to people, no matter where you come from, no matter where you are at the moment, believe in your dream. I was a bricklayer, now I’m a professional soccer player. That should show that you can do anything if you’re willing to believe in yourself and work hard accordingly,” Doski makes clear at the end.
Interview by Henrik Stadnischeko
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