In recent years, it has become a norm that the best players in Germany are snapped up by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich when the time is right. Borussia Dortmund themselves have been the victim a number of times with the transfer of star players such as Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels.
However, this time around, Dortmund have reversed the roles to become the team that prises out top talent by agreeing a deal with Borussia Monchengladbach for the transfer of highly-rated midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud at the end of the season.
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In case you are wondering who this 21-year-old joining an exciting Dortmund side budding with talented youngsters such as Ousmane Dembele, Christian Pulisic and Julian Weigl, is, then here are the five things you need to know about Dahoud.
#1 He is the first Syria-born player to play in the Bundesliga
Although Dahoud is an under-21 German international, he was actually born in Amuda, Syria, very close to the Turkish border. His parents took him away when he was still an infant to escape the Assad regime in 1996.
He made his Bundesliga debut against Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 season to become the first Syria-born player to play in the Bundesliga.
#2 He built his game playing on the streets
Mahmoud Dahoud’s football origins lie in the streets of Germany where he first developed a passion for the game. In a German interview with the official Bundesliga website, he was quoted as saying (translated), “As a child, I did not actually do anything other than to kick (the ball) with the other kids on the street or in the yard. All the kids come together and we used to play for hours, without ever tiring. From the moment I walked, the ball was my thing. And that has not changed.”
It is pretty well-known how some of the greatest footballers, especially the South Americans, honed their skills playing on the streets before enthralling every part of the world. Dahoud’s time playing street-football definitely puts him in good stead in that respect especially as he gets ready to face the tougher challenges in the game.
#3 He came through Gladbach’s academy
Mahmoud Dahoud was snapped up by the Gladbach academy when he was 14 from Fortuna Dusseldorf in 2010. The Gladbach academy is renowned for churning out top players on a regular basis with a recent example being goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen who is currently one of the best in his role at Barcelona.
Dahoud rose through the ranks quickly, playing a starring role for the U17s in the 2012/13 season where he registered seven goals and nine assists in 23 appearances. The cherry on the cake for him was a superb goal and assist against Dortmund. He moved up to the U19s before then Gladbach manager Lucien Favre promoted him to the first-team at the start of the 2015/16 season.
(Video Courtesy – WorldScoutHD YouTube Channel)
#4 His playing style is similar to Ilkay Gundogan
Dahoud has the rare ability to play in any of the midfield positions, making him a valuable asset for any side. Be it a box-to-box midfielder or a deep-lying playmaker, he is adept in performing either of the roles and at his young age of 21, it is truly the sign of a remarkable player.
In fact, his attributes are very similar to that of former Dortmund player Ilkay Gundogan, who currently plies his trade at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Similar to Gundogan, Dahoud can play the box-to-box role given his excellent ability to intercept and tackle on one side while showing good dribbling ability to move the ball forward during attacks on the other side.
Furthermore, he is a relentless runner who is known to cover 13 km per game on average. Also, his vision, long-range shooting and passing range are strong assets for any team to have.
#5 Zinedine Zidane is his idol
Like every upcoming player, Mahmoud Dahoud admires a number of players including the Brazilians such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Robinho and Kaka. However when asked about his footballing idol in an interview with the official Bundesliga website, he said (translated), “Zidane was a great footballer, but just like his technique, his immense charisma impressed me. He is still my model today.”
He went on to add that he watches some of Zidane’s best plays time and again even today. Knowing Zidane’s legendary exploits at both the club level as well as with the France, it is safe to assume that Dahoud has the right football personality to seek inspiration from, and it is no surprise that his all-round game is already at a top level.
