Servus, Noussair! FC Bayern have signed Noussair Mazraoui from Ajax for next season. The 24-year-old is most at home in the right-back position but can also play in central midfield. We introduce FCB’s new recruit:
Caught the eye in the Champions League
Mazraoui first came to the attention of German football fans in October 2018, when the then 20-year-old scored the first of his three Champions League goals at Munich’s Allianz Arena of all places, helping Ajax earn a point in a 1-1 draw against Bayern in the group stage. He also ploughed the right flank for 90 minutes in the hard-fought 3-3 draw in the return fixture at the Johan Cruyff Arena. The young Ajax side were surprise semi-finalists that year, with Mazraoui missing just one match through suspension. The Moroccan also started in all eight matches in the Champions League campaign just gone as the Amsterdam outfit won all six of their group games - including two against Borussia Dortmund - for the first time in the club’s history before being knocked out by Benfica in the last 16.
Graduate of Ajax academy
The pacey full-back learned his trade in the Ajax academy, where he moved in 2006 at the age of eight from Alphense Boys, a club based in his home city of Alphen aan den Rijn. Mazraoui progressed through the Ajax youth and was even recognised as the club’s Talent of the Year in 2019 - joining a list of great names such as Rafael van der Vaart, Christian Eriksen and Matthijs de Ligt who have previously received the accolade. In February 2018, the defender made his first-team debut for the Dutch record champions as a substitute in a 3-1 win at NAC Breda. After that he established himself as a first-team regular at Ajax, making 137 appearances in all competitions (10 goals) for the club from the Dutch capital. He won the domestic double of the league and cup in 2019 and 2021 before winning the Eredivisie title again in 2022.
Twelve caps for Morocco
Although he was also invited to play for the Netherlands, Mazraoui elected to represent Morocco, who he’d already featured for at youth level. The 1.83-metre tall defender made the first of his 12 international appearances in September 2018 against Malawi. He’s scored two goals for the North Africans and was part of the squad for the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Egypt, where Morocco were eliminated on penalties by Benin in the round of 16. Following a disagreement with national team coach Vahid Halilhodžić, Mazraoui temporarily put his international career on hold in March of this year.
The full story on the transfer:
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