Mohamed Ihattaren’s career takes a dramatic turn in season 15 episode 38. A feeling of disappointment and anger predominates when taking stock of Mohamed Ihatarren’s early career. Debuting with PSV Eindhoven on January 26, 2019, the Utrecht-born attacking midfielder showed great promise when he was not yet 17 years old. Stirring, technical and already mature in his game, he quickly got everyone to agree. Then during the 2019/2020 season, he exploded completely by becoming a part of the first team with the trifle of 7 goals and 9 offerings in 33 matches. Having even become a player for the Dutch selection (he was also close to Morocco, editor’s note) during the September 2020 rally without playing (he had remained on the bench, editor’s note), Mohamed Ihattaren then saw a great future available to him. But it was from there that the rise of a generational talent turned into slow agony.
Divorce with PSV Eindhoven
The start of the problems comes at the end of 2019. However, he realizes what is still today the best season of his career. Mohamed Ihattaren sees his father Mostapha die suddenly. A hard mourning for the left-hander who will never really recover. If this does not directly translate to performance, his mental health is affected and he finds himself a victim of the situation as well. Indeed, in February 2020 in a 3-0 win over ADO The Hague, thousands of opposing fans reportedly chanted “Mo, where is your dad now?” A behavior from which the supporters of the Dutch club defended themselves, but which was logically condemned by the players and members of PSV Eindhoven.
Bursting into tears, the player was able to count on real support from the Boeren where the context around him was good despite the difficulties he encountered. But that was without taking into account the arrival of Roger Schmidt. Coming in the summer of 2020, the German coach presents himself with specific ideas and brings Mario Götze with him. While the German attacking midfielder finds colors with PSV Eindhoven, Mohamed Ihattaren is deported to the wing. A position far from suited to his qualities. Less successful (3 goals and 2 offerings in 29 matches) and overtaken by specialists in the position like Madueke and Gakpo, he will also pay for a very tumultuous relationship with his coach who blamed him for too many absences. “Yes it is strange that he is sick more often, but that is also part of football. It was a season with ups and downs for Mo and he wants to end the season well. But he had knee problems and now he is sick. We hope to be able to prepare him for Thursday’s game against PEC Zwolle. We will see if he can play for a few minutes and then play in the last matches.” he let go after an elimination in the Europa League against Olympiakos.
Then followed a few days later an argument between the two men. The influential and late agent Mino Raiola was forced to step up to defend his foal: “What happened yesterday is absolutely unworthy of PSV. We disagree with the content, but the way it was presented is unacceptable and unconscionable. Does Schmidt need a third party like the Players Group to have an opinion? Next time he should tell his partner what he thinks. Special footballers need a special approach. In this regard, I am happy that Schmidt was not Maradona’s coach, because then we would never have seen the real Maradona.” A last match on the inferno created between PSV Eindhoven and Mohamed Ihattaren which made the situation unlivable between the two parties. Withdrawn from illness before a preliminary match against Galatasaray in July 2021, Mohamed Ihattaren was definitively left out of the equation and his agent found him an emergency base. Mentioned in Nice, he finally signed for Juventus against less than 2 million euros when he was estimated at more than 10 times more before.
Reported missing with Sampdoria…
Complicated to the point of becoming unlivable, his situation at PSV Eindhoven had to give way to a new start and Juventus will not be this one. Under contract with the Turinese from August 30, 2021 until July 28, he will never wear the bianconero jersey. Leaving immediately on loan to Sampdoria, he will not wear that of the club based in Genoa either. On the bench against Inter on September 12, 2021, he will experience a single call-up with the group of the Italian club. A huge fiasco when everything was available to him. In a workforce where he had room to shine, Mohamed Ihattaren showed up with 5 extra pounds. Coach Roberto D’Aversa tried to remobilize him with an adapted program so that he regains his feelings, the latter rather hit the headlines by showing himself to be more present in Monaco or Milan than with the residents of the Estadio Luigi- Ferraris. Even the support of a personal assistant was not enough to help him.
Finally, Mohamed Ihattaren will leave without asking permission in the Netherlands to Utrecht to recharge his batteries. Sampdoria seeing themselves cheated and having no news from their player, the concern rose. Finally broken off in the winter, Mohamed Ihattaren’s loan was followed by a new loan to Ajax Amsterdam. A return to the country which was welcome for him and which was supported by the sports director at the time Marc Overmars. “Mo Ihattaren is only 19 years old and is considered one of the greatest talents in our country. However, due to some circumstances, he hasn’t played a match for a long time. With us, he will continue to work on his physical condition at Jong Ajax (in the second division, editor’s note). There he will then be able to show that he is still the good player that we know. I am very curious. We are giving him this opportunity and we are going to help him, but of course it starts with himself and he knows it,” explained the former Arsenal and FC Barcelona striker.
… The false hope Ajax Amsterdam
And this is where hope began to be reborn. Playing 5 second division matches with the reserve for 4 goals and 2 offerings, he even offered himself the luxury of entering the final of a Dutch Cup won by … PSV Eindhoven (2-1). Hope was slowly returning to him, who was even starting preparation for the 2022/2023 season with the first team. “I just want to show how good I am and that’s what we’re doing right now. Ajax know what I can do if I’m really fit. I still have a whole career ahead of me, I’m still very young. I now know what is good for me and what I need” he explained then. But then again Mohamed Ihattaren was caught as he fingered happiness.
While everything seemed to be improving for him, he missed the end of the preparation as well as the Supercup lost against PSV Eindhoven (5-3). The reason ? Serious risks to his safety following links with the mafia milieu. Information denied by the player at the time, but which ultimately proved to be correct. Ajax Amsterdam therefore wanted to end the loan early and if it took until December 31 for the two parties to separate, Mohamed Ihattaren’s life was punctuated and his relationship with the Mocro Maffia, a mafia organization raging in Belgium and the Netherlands and which is composed of clans whose members are mainly from Moroccan immigration. His Porsche Panamera was notably charred and a few weeks later he was arrested by the police and his home was raided on charges of domestic violence. New setbacks for the attacking midfielder whose escapades quickly took precedence over his outbursts on the pitch.
Samsunspor, the coup de grace?
Now 21 and free since the consensual termination of his contract with Juventus, Mohamed Ihattaren has been offered a fresh start. Having not played an official match for 15 months and a 1-1 draw against De Graafschap, on May 6, 2022, Mohamed Ihattaren was heading to Turkey. Indeed, the promoted Super Lig, Samsunspor, offered him a 4-year contract and he was welcomed as a real rockstar by the supporters. A new chance offered which could have given new impetus to the career of Mohamed Ihattaren. But as history likes to repeat itself so much, he scuttles himself again and this time all alone like a grown-up. He would have made unacceptable demands to Samsunspor, which finally put an end to this transfer early.
“Our club recently invited footballer Mohamed Ihattaren, whose contract terms were agreed, to Samsun to undergo health checks and sign a contract, then the footballer came to our city. Our club waived the transfer of the player who tried to change the previously agreed conditions and made unacceptable demands. We are bringing this situation to the public’s attention.” announced the Turkish training which highlighted the fact that Mohamed Ihattaren had been greedy at the time of concluding the negotiations. Free again at only 21 years old, Mohamed Ihattaren can still relaunch his career and has a certain talent. Nevertheless, personal issues and his behavior have taken over football for a long time. Having not had a real season since the 2020/2021 financial year (in a replacement role, editor’s note), the little genius from Utrecht is far from the trajectory which was predestined for him.
