Tensions autour des concessions foncières et de l'accès à l'eau dans la région de Drâa-Tafilalet    Le Parlement andin en tournée en Espagne et au Maroc pour des échanges institutionnels    Maroc : l'endettement extérieur poursuivra sa trajectoire haussière en 2025    Le port espagnol de Vigo enregistre une hausse de 36 % des échanges automobiles avec le Maroc en 2024    France-Algérie : l'Elysée impose le tempo dans la reprise des relations et sanctuarise sa reconnaissance de la souveraineté du Maroc sur le Sahara    En Israël, l'amiral d'origine marocaine Eli Sharvit nommé à la tête du Shin Bet par Benyamin Netanyahou    En Algérie, le pouvoir transforme la prière de l'aïd en un mimétisme maladroit de ce qu'il voit sous d'autres latitudes    Coupe du Trône : le dernier carré en ligne de mire, des affiches alléchantes en huitièmes de finale    Entre carences institutionnelles et péril hydrique, la gouvernance de l'eau au Maroc à l'épreuve selon un nouveau rapport    Maroc : 38,3 % de remplissage des barrages, des écarts préoccupants entre les bassins    307 000 tonnes de tourteau de tournesol importées par le Maroc en 2024, soit 42 % du total africain    Des vestiges vieux de 3 000 ans, découvert à Kach Kouch au Maroc, réécrivent l'histoire du Maghreb    Présidence marocaine du CPS de l'UA pour le mois de mars: Un engagement renouvelé en faveur de la paix et de la stabilité en Afrique    Marine Le Pen condamnée à 4 ans de prison pour détournement de fonds publics    Maroc : Une Croissance économique de 3,7% au T4-2024    CAN U17 : L'Afrique du Sud renverse l'Egypte au bout d'un match à 7 buts !    Un réflexe marocain!    CAN U17/ Ilies Belmokhtar: naissance d'une étoile !    Maroc : Les précisions du PPS sur les milliards de dirhams accordés aux importateurs de moutons et vaches    Marine Le Pen condamnée à 4 ans de prison pour détournement de fonds publics    CAN U17 : Large victoire du Maroc face à l'Ouganda (5-0)    Tanger : Le PJD persona non grata lors d'une marche de soutien à Gaza    France : Les alliés du Polisario lancent une «marche» vers le Maroc    Kaïs : Le prénom arabe qui séduit la France en 2025    Abdelkader Belliraj, condamné pour terrorisme, libéré après une grâce royale    Fake journalist in Beni Mellal sentenced to 2 years for defamation and impersonation    Tangier : PJD barred from Gaza support march    Francia: Los aliados del Polisario lanzan una «marcha» hacia Marruecos    TF1 sur les traces de ces expatriés français en quête d' »une nouvelle vie » à Essaouira    Maroc – Algérie : Après la bataille Wikipédia, l'affrontement numérique via Grok sur X    Rabat. SM le Roi, Amir Al-Mouminine, accomplit la prière de l'Aïd Al-Fitr à la mosquée "Ahl Fès"    Renforts sécuritaires massifs à Belyounech pour contrer les infiltrations vers Sebta    Soldats américains disparus : leur véhicule retiré d'un marais lituanien    Arabie Saoudite: Près de 18,5 millions de pèlerins en 2024    L'Aïd au rythme du sacrifice : Ces travailleurs qui assurent la continuité des services essentiels    Un nouveau sommet historique pour l'or    Real Sociedad récupère Aguerd avant le choc contre le Real Madrid en Coupe du Roi    Climat des affaires : Ces lacunes qui freinent les réformes du Maroc    CAN U17: Les Lionceaux vainqueurs en ouverture    Transport interurbain : Un fardeau récurrent pour les voyageurs à l'occasion de l'Aïd    Amir Al-Mouminine accomplira lundi la prière de l'Aïd Al Fitr à la mosquée « Ahl Fès » à Rabat    CAN U-17 : Où regarder le match Maroc-Angola ce dimanche soir ?    Ramadan : 69,1% de PdA pour la télévision publique marocaine    Jazzablanca 2025 : Le groove australien s'invite avec Parcels    Rabat : Cérémonie en célébration de la Journée mondiale du théâtre    Ramadan 2025 : Les Marocains préfèrent le pôle audiovisuel public    L'Humeur : Les séries télévisées séduisent la MAP    Les acteurs américains Matt Damon et Zendaya en tournage au Maroc    







Merci d'avoir signalé!
Cette image sera automatiquement bloquée après qu'elle soit signalée par plusieurs personnes.



Diaspo #185 : Youssef Zaitra ... from handball player in Morocco to football coach in Finland
Publié dans Yabiladi le 20 - 03 - 2021

Youssef Zaitra was a member of the FAR handball team before he decided to immigrate to Finland in 1999. There, he decided to study football training, and now he works at the Helsinki Football Club Academy, the best of its kind in the country.
Youssef Zaitra was born in 1975 in the Yaqoub Al Mansour neighborhood in Rabat. Although he was obsessed with football, he joined the under-17 FAR handball team.
«I used to play handball, but in fact I was in love with football. I grew up in the neighborhood alongside great players such as Abdellah Andaloussi, Abderezzak Khairi and Mohcine Bouhlal», he told Yabiladi.
Youssef however was forced to leave football aside. «I started playing football with the Hilal Ribati team, but training was taking place between the hours of noon and two o'clock in the afternoon, so I could not study and play football at the same time and I decided to leave the club and go for handball instead», he said.
He recalls that in 1999 he decided to settle down in Finland. «My dream was always to live in Scandinavia, I have never dreamed of France or Spain. I immigrated like any other young Moroccan dreaming of a better future», he said.
Football in Finland
However, the path to success was not easy and was full of obstacles. Once in Finland, he realized that he was fluent neither in Finnish nor in English. With time, he started to overcome the language barrier, and found a job at a restaurant.
The father-of-two (17 and 13 years old) kept his love for football, and in 2012, he started realizing the dream that he had been chasing for years. The Rabat-native joined the Helsinki football academy as a trainer after obtaining the UEFA C certificate for training, UEFA C + certification for training young children from U8 to U12.
«I came to Finland and my passion for football did not leave me. My son Adam, who also loves football, had the opportunity to play his favorite sport in 2012, and then I went on the training path as well. I work with children on both the psychological and the physical side of things, the training includes pedagogy».
Youssef Zaitra
The Moroccan coach, who is still pursuing his studies to obtain another certificate (Master) in the field of training, explained that the team that he supervises «does not include any Moroccan player. I previously worked with a Moroccan child who moved to another club, but inside the club there are many children of African origin».
He explained that the academy in which he works, the best of its kind in the country, has great potential as its team previously participated to European competitions and trained world-class players who currently bear the jerseys of FC Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Youssef remembers bitterly a racist attitude that he faced in one of his team's games. «We were winning the match, and I was directing instructions to my team. The coach of the other team approached me and said to me 'you should not talk to the players', and I answered him with one sentence: 'focus on your own team and leave me alone'».
«He then went on to assault me verbally by saying 'go back to where you came from'. I would not answer and many people who were present intervened and called him off over his behavior», the coach recalled.
Regarding the eventuality of returning to Morocco, he said that he did not receive training offers explaining that he has «academic training, and I want to work on smaller groups, because after examining the way coaching is done in Morocco, it became clear to me that we still have a long way to go. Finland is a role model in education and training and one of the most successful countries in the world at it».
During his last visit to Morocco in 2019, his son Adam «went to the Mohammed VI Football Academy, and spent ten days there. He was impressed by it, and officials were impressed with his skills. I think he will have a promising future in football».
Youssef misses his country's traditions, especially during the month of Ramadan, which is approaching, and he explains the difficulty of fasting in Finland. «In the summer, the sun almost never sets, but we do what we can. In Ramadan this year the situation will be better because it no longer coincides with the summer season», he said.


Cliquez ici pour lire l'article depuis sa source.