Status: 01.12.2022 1:13 p.m
He grew up in Frankfurt am Main and is now making Morocco dream of the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar. On his way from the Hessian curb to the skyline of Doha, Sabiri not only made friends.
The Frankfurter Berg district of Frankfurt sounds like a beautiful view and good air. That is exactly what is there, in the north-west of the city, but rather rarely. The streets are lined with skyscrapers and the drinking halls and kiosks typical of Frankfurt. The fact that “Spiegel TV” dedicated its own report to the district entitled “On the road with dealers and crack cooks. Social hotspot Frankfurter Berg” speaks for itself.
The reality was portrayed a little too bleakly by the TV producers and criticized by many residents. But one thing is clear: there are places where you can grow up more carefree. The Frankfurt mountain hardens.
Sabiri leads Morocco to victory against Belgium
Since the World Cup in Qatar, one thing is also clear: the Frankfurt mountain has produced a World Cup hero. His name: Abdelhamid Sabiri, match winner and goalscorer in Morocco’s 2-0 win over Belgium.
Sabiri played for Germany U21
“He’s one of Bersch,” said Daniel Meisinger, Sabiri’s former youth coach, the day after the World Cup coup in the most beautiful Hessian dialect. Sabiri, who was born in Morocco, came to Frankfurt with his family at the age of three and learned to play football at TSG 1957 Frankfurter Berg. “You saw early on what a great talent he was,” said Meisinger.
In Frankfurt simply “Hamid”
Through the youth departments of Rot-Weiss Frankfurt, FV Bad Vilbel, TuS Koblenz and Darmstadt 98, Hamid, as he is called on the “Bersch”, made it to the professional level. “He already caused a lot of goal threats with his very good standards and his strong shooting technique,” said Björn Kopper, head of the Darmstadt youth academy, in an interview with the sports show.
After five appearances for the German U21 national team, Sabiri decided to play for the national team of his home country Morocco this year and was promptly nominated for the World Cup. In his second joker use, he scored his first goal. What a development, what a story.
Abdelhamid Sabiri in the jersey of TSG Frankfurter Berg
Image: D.Meisinger
Sabiri goes on strike in the Premier League
However, Sabiri’s rise from the shadows of the problem district to the spotlight of the problem World Cup did not go entirely smoothly. After the attacking midfielder Darmstadt 98 scored a total of 22 goals in the 2014/15 season, two of them in the promotion relegation against Pirmasens, in the U19 Bundesliga, several unfortunate stations followed. Sometimes it wasn’t sporty, sometimes Sabiri offended.
Sabiri went on strike from 1. FC Nürnberg
At 1. FC Nürnberg, for example, where he made his professional debut in the 2nd division in January 2017 and scored a brace in his second game, he refused to take part in training after just nine games and forced his change with this strike to Premier League promoted Huddersfield. However, since the hoped-for breakthrough in England turned out to be a crash landing with seven appearances in two years, Sabiri then tried his luck in Paderborn.
Descent with Paderborn – Baumgart reprimands Sabiri
In East Westphalia he played for the first time and regularly in the Bundesliga in the 2019/20 season, but Sabiri drove his then coach Steffen Baumgart upset with numerous ego trips: “I never had the feeling that Abdelhamid our team in any way helped,” Baumgart rumbled after the descent: “He doesn’t work for any team, he only works for himself.” boom
Morocco can clear the round of 16 against Canada
A little over two years later, Baumgart made his peace with his ex-player and Sabiri finally found his sporting happiness. One now wears a flat cap and coaches 1. FC Köln, the other is a regular at Sampdoria Genoa in Serie A and has a great chance of reaching the round of 16 with Morocco.
With a win in the last group game against the already eliminated Canadians (Thursday, December 1st, 2022, Live radio report and ticker at sportschau.de) the first knockout round participation in 36 years would be perfect. Should Morocco be group winners, the next opponent could then be called Germany. It would be the appropriate punch line.
One way or another: In Frankfurt, where Sabiri’s parents still live today, one will take a closer look in the coming days, despite all the reservations about Qatar. “We’re proud that we had someone like Hamid on our team,” summarized Sabiri’s discoverer Meisinger: “He made his way.” From the Frankfurt curb to the Doha skyline.
Source: sportschau.de