Noussair Mazraoui shares his honest reaction to club’s decision to release Casemiro | OneFootball

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui has delivered his honest verdict on Casemiro’s imminent exit.

Casemiro to depart

In January, Casemiro announced that he will leave United at the end of the season, once his contract expires.

He joined United in the summer of 2022 from Real Madrid in a deal worth £70m. He has been a regular in the team under all three managers he has played under: Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick.

The Brazilian helped United win the Carabao Cup in his first season and the FA Cup in the subsequent campaign. United had the option of extending his stay by an additional 12 months but they opted to release him, likely to offload his massive wages from the books.

Mazraoui spoke to club media and spoke on the 34-year-old’s upcoming exit.

Mazraoui speaks

Asked whether he’ll be sad to see Casemiro go, Mazraoui answered, “Yeah, really sad. I think the announcement, when I saw it, was like… it was a sad day.”

“He brings experience, like crazy. He knows how it is to win. He knows how it is, also, the road to win, because he has done it, he has lived it. So, yeah, we’re going to miss him a lot in the team, outside of the pitch, inside the pitch, of course.”

The Morocco international described his favourite Casemiro moment.

“One moment which just pops into my mind, he’s like, in the game, he’s really focused, of course, disciplined and everything. He wants to win every minute of the game. I think one time it was final whistle, we won that game.”

“We won the ball back at the right-back spot and he was there as well to support, and I think he had the ball. The referee whistled and then he gave me a panna, a nutmeg, at the end of the game and started laughing and I started laughing! But yeah, that’s how he is.”

“He’s like joking but also a really, really great guy.”

Football influences

Mazraoui was asked to name some players who influenced him the most in the early parts of his career.

He said, “I think Hakim Ziyech, when I arrived to the first team in Ajax, and Zakaria Labyad. Those two, of course, are from Morocco. So, they helped me a lot when I was younger and came through the first team.”

On which players he’s featured with that have impacted him the most, he added, “I think also Hakim Ziyech because I’ve played for three, four years with him, so that’s a really long time. And I think my time in Germany was maybe too short, but if I have to say somebody there, I think it’s Thomas Muller. He’s a legendary guy, of course, a legendary player. So yeah, these two.”

Mazraoui also hailed Bruno Fernandes, explaining that the skipper is someone who has really stood out in his eyes.

“Stood out? Of course, Bruno Fernandes is really unbelievably good. His stats say a lot about him. And that’s of course one player which I’ve seen. I know other players from the Premier League already from watching on TV, but this guy I’m seeing now up close… I see what kind of special player he is.”

“I think all the wingers [have surprised him by how good they are], because most of the time I’m playing full-back, all the wingers in the Premier League are really, really good from top to bottom. Fast, strong, technical, so you cannot underestimate any of them.”

“So, if I’m going to give my props to anybody, I think it’s all of them because you cannot have a bad day with those guys. And if you have a bad day, you will see it straight away.”

Playing during Ramadan

Mazraoui spoke candidly about the challenges of balancing his observance of Ramadan with the rigorous physical demands of competing at the highest level of professional football.

Asked how it’s been for him, he remarked, “This year it’s going to be like, the sun is going down really early, so I expect it not to be that hard. But I’m going to enjoy this month a lot.”

“I think it’s experience. I’ve done it now for quite some time, my whole career now from a young age. So, yeah, you just know how to eat to get maximum performance throughout the day.”

“It’s really important to fuel up in the moments you can eat so you can deliver at the moments that you’re fasting.”

“Normally, you’re fuelling up before the game, you have like a pre-match meal, try to be really hydrated before the game and that’s one thing you can’t do now. So, of course, that part is really different. But, on the other side, I think you have then more time to be like, get more into a focus. So, instead of focusing on food, you can now really focus on the game and on your spiritual thoughts as well.”

He stressed the significance of United’s relationship with the Muslim community, adding that he truly appreciates the support.

Back to football, the 28-year-old revealed that his personal goal is to perform well and help the team return to Europe.

Featured image Alex Pantling via Getty Images

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