Saibari: ‘Only give 90 percent? I can’t do that!’ | OneFootball

FC Bayern members’ magazine ‘51’ spoke to our new signing Ismael Saibari about the challenges he’s faced in life and how they shape him on and off the pitch now.

Interview with Ismael Saibari

When you score a goal, you run your hands over your head and acknowledge the crowd. What does this celebration mean? “The celebration is for my cousin. Ahead of my first game for the first team with Eindhoven, he wanted to know how I’d celebrate if I scored. I told him to suggest something, and he came up with this gesture. It’s a reminder of our childhood, when we used to go swimming in the sea together. We’d always have a shower afterwards. That’s what it refers to. The brief wave afterwards just comes from the feeling that I needed to round it off. That’s how my goal celebration came about.”

Bayern fans are hoping to see you celebrating as often as possible. What has your experience of the club and its fans been like during your first few weeks in Munich? “I feel very welcome. After training, there are always lots of fans waiting to get an autograph or take a photo. I think that’s cool. You can really sense how important Bayern is to so many people. It’s a big club – everyone knows that. But it’s only when you’re part of it that you realise just how big the club really is.”

How do you mean? “Just the way everything is organised and perfectly prepared: the players’ area, the food, the medical support – everything. Then, in training, you feel the intensity; you see the quality of the players, how quickly they think, how quickly they react. It’s absolutely thrilling. And you only realise all that when you’re actually here.”

Why did you choose Bayern? What makes this club so appealing to you? “It has a lot to do with the fact that I played against Bayern in the Champions League with PSV last season. The way the players came onto the pitch, with their aura. The way they played football. It was impressive; I really enjoyed it.”

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You also spoke to Vincent Kompany before the move. What did he say to you? Why exactly did he want you? “Because my qualities mean I’m a good fit for Bayern. I’m a player who attacks, who’s a threat in front of goal, and who works hard both going forward and defending. PSV have a similar style of play to Bayern, which suits me down to the ground. Vinny told me it’s no problem if I make mistakes. The only important thing is that I work hard. The rest will follow naturally.”

Medhi Benatia was the first Moroccan to play for Bayern. He told us that you have exceptional acceleration. Once you get going, you’re almost unstoppable. When the Bayern fans see you play for the first time, what will immediately catch their eye, and what will they only notice after ten matches? “First of all, I’m delighted to hear that from Medhi Benatia. I don’t know him personally, but every Moroccan knows who he is. What the fans can expect from me right from the start is intensity. I always give 100 percent – I don’t think I’m even capable of giving 90 percent. After ten matches, I hope they’ll have seen a few goals and assists from me by then.”

Let’s go back to where it all began. As a child, you used to play football in the park with your father almost every evening. Tell us about those evenings. “I was about ten or eleven years old, and my father had noticed that I hardly ever used my left foot. He told me, ‘If you want to become a great player, you’ve got to be able to use both feet.’ So every evening in the park, he made me shoot at goal using only my left foot – 70 or 80 times. It was frustrating. Most of the shots went wide or my dad caught them with ease.”

Who lost interest first, you or your father? “I think if it hadn’t been for my father, I’d have given up after two or three shots. I was just a little boy who wanted to have some fun. But now I realise how much I’ve benefited from those tough evenings in the park. I’m very grateful to my father and my parents in general.”

Your father worked on your left foot. What do you owe to your mother? “I get my communicative nature from my mother. Always asking: ‘What’s going on? How’s it going? Is there anything you can improve or change?’ That comes from her.”

When did you first realise just how much your life today is linked to your parents’ tenacity and faith? “Quite early on. When I was 16 or 17, my mum told me the story from my early childhood about how they were worried I might not be able to walk properly. That’s when I realised my mum went to great lengths to ensure I could lead a normal life. And now it’s up to me. My part is the easier one – just get on with it, keep going, and work.”

When you were very little, your feet were turned inwards. “Yes, the media did exaggerate it a bit later on. But it’s true. If nothing had been done, I would’ve had trouble walking. Perhaps at some point I wouldn’t have been able to walk at all. When I was a baby, I was given metal shoes to help my feet straighten out. The metal parts were big; you could hardly turn around in them. My mum kept them on anyway. So that I could sleep, she held me in her arms at night; she stayed awake for months on end just for that. All just so that I could walk.”

Your parents have done a great deal for you and the family. They also left their homeland, Morocco, and moved first to Spain and then to Belgium. What do they tell you about the courage it takes to start afresh in a new place time and time again? “My parents are my greatest role models. They came to Spain and then to Belgium with nothing; they didn’t know anyone there. And today they have a wonderful life, have raised four children and built a family full of love that always sticks together. Their journey shows that anything is possible.”

When you think back on all the times you’ve moved house, what was the hardest thing for you? A new language? New people? Or a new football culture? “When we moved from Spain to Belgium, the language was the hardest thing. Luckily, I was still quite young – you learn very quickly at that age. When I then moved from Belgium to the Netherlands, I really noticed the difference on the pitch. In Belgium, the game is much more physical; in the Netherlands, they play more with the ball. But I found it easy to adapt because my playing style suits it very well.”

You’re not just a talented footballer but also a talented linguist. How many languages do you speak? “Five: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Dutch – and hopefully German soon. I’m just interested in different languages and cultures.”

At PSV, you were seen as the glue that held the dressing room together. You acted as an interpreter in meetings, looked after new signings and picked up the young players. Did anyone ask you to do that or did you just do it on your own initiative? “When I moved up from the youth team to the first team, there were players who looked after me too. Later on, I wanted to help the young players. They shouldn’t put any pressure on themselves but simply play their football and enjoy it. I also enjoyed looking after the new signings, just because I speak several languages. I helped them whenever they needed anything and acted as an interpreter during team meetings. Nobody had to ask me to do that. I did it of my own accord.”

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At Bayern, Thomas Müller was long the one who brought people together. How important are such figures in a large dressing room? “Someone like that is always very important. When you join a new club, you first have to get to know the routines and the mindset. Of course, it helps if there’s someone who can explain everything to you. Someone who, after you’ve made a mistake, says: ‘No problem, try it this way.’ When you have someone like that by your side, you feel more at ease mentally.”

Do you see yourself as someone who creates space for others within a group? “It’s all about the team. Everyone has to feel comfortable and everyone has to be able to flourish. Because if you want to win the biggest titles, you need everyone. And of course I do my bit to ensure that everyone can play as well as possible. That goes without saying for me.”

You still need to learn German. How are you getting on in the dressing room so far? “I do understand a few bits of German, because I speak Dutch. And the dressing room is very international. I speak French with some of my teammates, Spanish with others, and English with many of them. So language isn’t a problem. I have a connection with everyone.”

What role does language play for you when it comes to fitting in with a new group or in a new culture? “Language is absolutely crucial. When you join a new club, you want to talk to your teammates, coaches and everyone around you, otherwise you’ll end up on your own. And that affects your confidence. That’s why being able to talk to people is so important.”

You’ve taken on responsibility, including beyond the pitch. You wear the number 34 as a tribute to Abdelhak Nouri, who collapsed during a friendly match for Ajax and suffered permanent brain damage. You’re friends with him, even though you didn’t know him at all before his collapse. Why do you feel so close to him? “What happened to Abdelhak just breaks my heart. I’ve talked about it a lot with my Mum, and visiting people who are ill is also part of my religion, Islam. The connection to Abdelhak’s family came about through my agent. He works with Abdelhak’s brother. The relationship has grown closer day by day, including between the families. We even go on holiday together. When I see Abdelhak, we always have a great time. It’s a lovely thought for me that this joy might perhaps help improve his condition.”

How did he react when you told him you were joining Bayern? “Abdelhak can’t speak, of course. He communicates with his eyebrows, and it was very clear to see just how happy he was for me. I also left it up to him to decide which shirt number I’d wear at Bayern. He chose 34, so that’s the one I went for.”

The extended interview is available in the September edition of ‘51’

Jetzt im „51“: Wash and Goal!