Stijn Spierings experienced the absolute highlight of his football career last weekend. The Alkmaarder won with his club Toulouse FC the Coupe de France. In Paris, the former AZ player & co defeated FC Nantes 5-1. “I felt so happy and I was really proud of myself.”
“Sorry for my voice”, Stijn Spierings immediately apologizes on the phone about his hoarse voice. The midfielder says that he celebrated the cup win with Toulouse well. “First after the match in Paris and the next day in the center of Toulouse with about twenty thousand fans.” Former AZ player Zakaria Aboukhlal, Thijs Dallinga and Branco van den Boomen are also under contract with the southern French club.
“Excellent”
“It was without a doubt the best match of my life. In the Stade de France with 80,000 supporters, that felt very special. And we just played super well.” Toulouse won 5-1 against Nantes. After half an hour of football, Spierings’ team was already leading 4-0. “Everything fell together in the right way, and I was a bit perplexed by what happened. Only from the seventieth minute did I get the feeling that it couldn’t go wrong.”
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“After the final whistle, there was an explosion of joy. Celebrating with my teammates, but I also looked at the grandstand where my family and girlfriend were. That gave me a very special feeling, because they were always there for me Even during the difficult moments.”
Spiering considered quitting football during his time at Sparta. Under the then trainer Henk Fraser he hardly appeared in the plans. “It made me a bit emotional when you realize that you are standing there in such a large stadium in Paris and have just won the cup. I am also a sensitive boy in that respect.”
“Valuation”
“Three years ago I made the move to this club. Then Toulouse came out in Ligue 2 (second level in France – ed.). Hardly anyone cared about football at that time, people here were mainly crazy about rugby. Now that is completely turned around.”
“I prefer to stay abroad, but I am also open to the top three in the Netherlands”
In addition to the cup win, Toulouse is firmly in the middle bracket at the highest French level. “When I walk down the street now, everyone tells me how proud they are and they want to take a picture with you. The appreciation that there is now really means a lot to me.”
Rolling balls
A day after the French cup final, the Dutch cup final took place in De Kuip. Ajax lost to PSV on penalties. Afterwards, the conversation was mainly about the affected and inflammatory behavior of many players. Something that Spierings has not missed either. “I got secondhand embarrassment watching this match. I saw everyone rolling around, it really wasn’t about anything.”
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Future
“There is something going on at the moment,” said Spierings about his future. The contract with Toulouse expires this summer. The born Alkmaarder does not yet know where he will play football next season. “It feels like an exciting period. I think I’m in a good position, because I’ve played everything and I’m transfer-free. Toulouse would like me to stay, but I haven’t made a choice yet.”
“I’m adventurous and I notice that a new competition also stimulates.” In the past, Spierings already played for the Bulgarian Levski Sofia. “I’m also curious where my ceiling is. I would rather make a wrong choice than if I don’t dare to choose and go for safety. I prefer abroad, but I am also open to the top three in the Netherlands.”
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