Al Gharafa star Wesley Sneijder expressed his delight at being in Doha and praised the facilities at Aspire Academy and Aspetar Hospital as well as Qatar’s preparations for hosting the 2022 World Cup.
Speaking to the media, the Dutch midfielder said that things are taking place in a professional manner and everyone will see that on the ground when they come to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. As for his football impressions following his first match for Al Gharafa against Al Ahli in Round 12 of the QNB Stars League, Sneijder said the match started well for his side, adding that had they scored in the first 15 minutes, they would have been able to register a big win.
He added that Al Gharafa made it difficult for themselves after Al Ahli scored but noted that he was confident in winning as the team were doing good group work. regarding what he can offer for Al Gharafa as a former Ajax player, a club known for nurturing young talents, Sneijder said the most important thing is the mentality of the player.
He added that when he was at Ajax academy, there were a lot of highly skilled players but their mentality was not good and, hence, they did not succeed. He advised young players to focus on football 100% because that is the proper way to become a professional footballer and play at the highest level, stressing that talent alone is not enough.
On his view of the Spanish and Italian football as a former player of Real Madrid and Inter Milan, the Dutchman said: “In Spain they raise players to pay extra attention to skill and that is why all Spanish clubs have technically gifted players who like to show their skills, while in Italy they are more concerned with the tactical side of the game and raise the players to focus on getting the three points by doing their best to keep the draw and then score a goal and preserve it until they win. In Spain they train players to play good football and that is the difference between the two schools.”
Sneijder said he owes his skill in taking free kicks to coach Ronald Koeman when he was at Ajax, adding that he also used to train on taking them while with the national team.
Asked about the goalkeeper whom he failed to score against, Sneijder said :”I have scored against Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer and many senior keepers but he never scored against Iker Casillas.”
He also said that the player he was most comfortable playing alongside was Real Madrid’s Guti who, he added, had great harmony and cohesion with.
Sneijder said the player that he wished to play along with is Lionel Messi, adding that every player would love to play with him and noting that he had already played with Cristiano Ronaldo. Al Gharafa had recently snapped Sneijder on an 18-month deal.
Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder joined Al Gharafa last week. (AFP)
