Football players often fall after their careers, but Mohamed Ihattaren was knocked down several times early in his career. “He’s not at the stage where he can be helped,” says former football player Glenn Helder, who personally made the wrong decisions and partially accepts what’s now happening to Ihattaren.
“Although it is worse right now: the pressure is higher and social media is bringing all your actions to the fore. If there was a smartphone in my time, I would still be in jail…” he winks.
Ihattaren is one of the greatest talents Dutch football has produced in the last decade. This was obvious at Vitesse in the 1990s. Until his gambling addiction came to light and he went to jail for threats, assault and gun possession from Arsenal and Orange.
Ihattaren was arrested in Amsterdam on Sunday after a relationship dispute. Police said the 21-year-old detainee, who did not name Ihattaren, was released. He’s still a suspect.
He was also arrested in November for a threat. It is a big question mark whether he can continue his professional life at Juventus after the latest developments.
I can’t, I can’t
Helder’s story is a story of self-destruction and powerlessness, a cry for help. No one can help her, she tells herself.
“It’s like waiting for someone who makes the same typo ten times in a dictation to fail the eleventh time. If you can’t, don’t change it. I was also stubborn.”
“I’m sure Ihattaren can’t change yet,” Helder says. “Van der Vaart, Vanenburg, Sneijder, Nouri’s brother, took the jackpot in personal leadership. He just didn’t screw it up, the kid wants to change or he wouldn’t want help either. But it cannot go on like this.”
It’s also very special to be placed on a pedestal when you’re this young, when the brain isn’t fully developed, Helder says. “Suddenly you have money and status, people have very high expectations of you. Everything you do is exaggerated in the media. You are a child in a very mature world. There is an art to dealing with it responsibly.”
But most football players can do it. Why are things going wrong in Ihattaren?
Helder says a stable environment helps. But it’s also about your character and a “healthy head”.
The former football player does not know the details of Ihattaren’s condition, but he is sure that his father’s death is a risk factor for slipping. Ihattaren himself had previously said, “A Moroccan family should be seen as a tree with a trunk of a father, branches of a mother, and children.”
wrong decisions
Admittedly, he suppressed his feelings about the loss. Bright realizes this: “I wasn’t stupid, I was brought up well and yet I made the wrong decisions. I did everything I could to not have to deal with my feelings. All I had to do was be thankful that I had a talent and could make money with it. I had to show my character not just on the court, but off the field as well.”
While he forgets to look into his eyes honestly, he watches with regret. Helder couldn’t do that either.
“It started small. I have never drunk or smoked. But when Vitesse bought me, I started going out and drinking heavily that summer. I continued to play on the field. This was my salvation. But it’s also my disaster.” After scoring three goals in the first game, De Gelderlander newspaper made the headline of Top Kauf Bright. I was rewarded for my bad behavior.”
Helder’s dominance trainer was Herbert Neumann. “He motivated me and gave me the guidance I needed. I didn’t want to let him down on the field. If your coach doesn’t see and understand you for who you are, it won’t work.” “
Meanwhile, special problems were piling up for Helder. “I was addicted to gambling. Gamblers are the biggest liars. Not just for those around you, but for yourself,” Helder explains of his downfall as a professional.
“You are ashamed of the way you are handling the possibilities in your life. I had everything but what did I do? I ruined myself. When things worked out, I was happy and hit rock bottom.” He says when you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to lose.
sound dad
Although Ihattaren still has a long way to go, he believes there is hope.
“I wish someone had been really tough on me for once. If I ran into my now 25-year-old self, I’d shake it off first – and that’s with a mild expression.”
Then I would have told him: Glenn, after your career at Orange and Arsenal, you’re in jail for seven months and then you can carry boxes at DHL. When I think of my younger self, I get angry again. I’m sorry, I don’t want it to happen to anyone. I hope Ihattaren never has to write a biography like me.”
In the end, will Ihattaren be able to survive? Yes, Helder thinks, because everyone can change. Everyone can be saved.
In Ihattaren’s case, she believes she should hear her father’s voice again. In other words, he should listen to the angel on his shoulder, not the devil on his pillow.
“I would say to him: Listen, your father is proud of you. It’s gone, but it’s always there. He sees you and knows that few people have a left leg as golden as you. Take strength from his pride.” ”
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
