El Ghazi: The three keys to success

He goes from the dressing room to the press area in the main stand of the Bruchwegstadion, sits in between the journalists on the staircase, sees the seat number 34, smiles and says: “That’s appropriate.” The 34, which the new signing wore for the first time in a 05 jersey on Saturday afternoon in Augsburg, is a special number for the Dutchman. It was the shirt number of friend Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered a cardiac arrest in a 2017 friendly match and was left with permanent, severe brain damage. El Ghazi and the two-years-younger Nouri played together for Ajax both in the academy and for the first team. “When he broke into the first team, I saw him as a little brother and helped him,” recalls the now-FSV player.

Still in contact today

Even more than six years on from the tragic cardiac arrest during the Dutch record champions’ friendly against Werder Bremen, El Ghazi still keeps “good contact” with Nouri’s family. He tries to visit them at least once a year during the summer break. “It’s so painful, because he’s a good guy. He was very talented and a great person at the same time,” says 05’s new signing. “You wouldn’t wish something like this on your worst enemy.”

Mainz 05 “exactly what I needed”

After a sad story to kick off the press conference, the Dutchman’s first week as a 05er is also marked by his excitement to be able to play for Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga. “It’s one of the best leagues and a good competition,” says the 28-year-old, who has already featured for Lille in Ligue 1, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie and Aston Villa in the Premier League.

As well as the league’s high level, conversations with Philipp Mwene, whom he played alongside for PSV until this summer, as well as former FSV stars Jean-Paul Boëtius and Jeremiah St. Juste helped to convince the Dutchman to sign a contract with Mainz 05. “When we were on holiday together a few years ago, they told me about Mainz 05. About the fans and the people here, that it’s a close family. I didn’t forget that,” says El Ghazi. In conversations with the club, the Dutchman felt greatly appreciated. “That was exactly what I needed,” explains the new signing, who comes to the Bruchweg with ambition.

Coming to play

“I’ve come here to be in the starting line-up,” says El Ghazi confidently, after having been mainly used as a substitute recently. “I will give my very best to make the head coach’s decision as difficult as possible,” explains the forward. Bo Svensson also played a role with several offers to convince the player to join the 05ers. El Ghazi had “a good conversation” with the Dane, who let him know his expectations. “He wants me to help the team, create chances and make something from nothing in front of goal. That’s exactly my game,” says the new signing.

Adapting to the Mainz footballing philosophy without a pre-season together will not be easy, according to El Ghazi. “It’s just like it is for everyone when you start a new job and you’re a bit unfamiliar.” During the integration process, he can benefit from his experiences at different clubs in different countries as well as his friends within the club where he feels valued.

Quick debut thanks to extra training in Amsterdam

The Dutchman appeared twice for PSV at the start of the season before terminating his contract. “I’m just happy that PSV helped me to find a solution where I was free to join a club that wanted me. I’m there now and I’m happy about that,” enthuses 05’s new signing.

Between the termination of his contract in Eindhoven and signing a new one in Mainz, the 28-year-old trained with boyhood club Ajax. “I took a few days off to go to Saudi Arabia, to Mecca and came back refreshed,” remembers El Ghazi. Then it was off to Amsterdam, where the attacker kept himself fit for the next assignment. “I signed my contract on Friday morning and played on Saturday. You can’t do that if you’re not fit,” laughs the new signing. He’ll still need a few weeks to get back to full match fitness, but the around 15 minutes he got in Augsburg already felt good, according to the Dutchman.

Belief, sticking together and communication

El Ghazi was aware of the current struggles on the pitch from the outset. “I know that it’s not easy and that the pressure is on us to get results,” the attacker comments. “However, I’m a footballer who loves playing under these circumstances. I’m not worried about the challenges.” Accordingly, he chose to join FSV despite the challenging situation the club finds itself in. “I believe that I’ve got unfinished business in Europe and think that I can offer something to the team and can help the guys to emerge from this tricky period,” El Ghazi explains.

The forward’s experience at his previous clubs may possibly be helpful. “In all honesty, I’ve previously played in teams in which there was more pressure than there is here,” the Dutchman admits. For example, he fought to help keep Aston Villa in the Premier League after the promotion to the top flight. “You always have to believe, stick together as a team and speak lots with one another,” the attacking player stated, listing three key things that ultimately kept Villa in the league. “I’ve learnt that anything is possible in football. We didn’t lose belief and turned things around in the last four games,” El Ghazi mentioned, remembering the end of the 2019/20 season.

Small things that will change the final result

The new arrival believes that it won’t be long until the team manages to find a way out of its current situation given the hunger that he feels that everyone in his new team has. “We’ve got a strong team assembled, with a good mix of young and experienced players. Everyone trains hard, looks out for one another and speaks lots with each other. These small things will change the final result,” El Ghazi hopes despite the tough upcoming challenges.

After their completely differing starts to the season, it may even be an advantage that FSV are the clear underdogs as the bottom-placed side when they go up against second placed Bayer Leverkusen. “It may be a turning point,” El Ghazi said. “Even if it’s not on Saturday, then we will still get the results in the coming weeks. I’m 100% sure of that.”