Hardly ever earlier than has Spain’s Segunda been so filled with giants slugging it out in hope of promotion again to the big-time. The truth is, there are occasions when the attendances in your midtable second division conflict will outstrip these in La Liga. Not least these held at Riazor, the place a median of near 23,000 followers are attending their video games, regardless of three years in Segunda.
Even when typically the load of a membership with such ballast as Depor can at instances make them much less agile, harder to show round, it pays to have an illustrious historical past. That a lot is evidenced by the presence of Zakaria Eddahchouri in Galicia, who at 24 years of age, was born eight days earlier than his Dutch compatriot Roy Makaay scored the second aim in a 2-0 win over Espanyol on the day Deportivo La Coruna hoisted their first La Liga title. A clear sheet, which got here underneath the stewardship of Noureddine Naybet, a hero for the nation of Eddahchouri’s father, Morocco, and a part of the explanation he moved to A Coruna.
“For me and my household, it was a simple determination, I like soccer a lot. After I was younger, I used to be at all times watching the Spanish league, and that was the second when Depor was taking part in within the first division, so I knew the membership. So when my agent got here, it was a simple determination for me to say sure.”
“They’re gamers that performed a few years in the past, earlier than my technology, however yeah my dad, when Deportivo got here, they have been two gamers that my dad talked about. Noureddine Naybet was captain of Morocco within the good days. Roy Makaay performed for Feyenoord, and I grew up about 20km from Feyenoord, so I believe the 2 gamers, and the household have been additionally, an enormous issue within the determination to return.”
Eddahchouri value the Galician giants €300k from Dutch second division aspect Telstar, leaving them as prime scorer with 17 objectives in 23 video games. Having misplaced star veteran Lucas Perez, who might as effectively have given Eddahchouri the lowdown on his technique to PSV Eindhoven going the opposite course, Deportivo invested in a goalscorer they hope to finally hearth them again to the place they have been when Eddahchouri grew to become accustomed to them.
Perez was an establishment within the area, the prodigal son who has returned 3 times, and in his newest fairytale, paid half one million euros out of his personal pocket to assist get them again into skilled soccer. Telstar, should you have been questioning, common simply over 2,500 followers each week. Eddahchouri appears unlikely to be phased by what the mortals name stress although.
“I’m a participant who loves that, and the journey. I practice as I play, I wish to dare once I play, I grew up taking part in on the road. It’s not every single day you get that stress, so I attempt to take pleasure in it. I’m having fun with it, it’s a lovely journey, once you see the group and the stadium there with their coronary heart and their ardour,” – the bit you dream of feeling as a child. The bit that almost all would dread, he barely registers. “You may name it stress, however I wouldn’t, ultimately that’s what you need as a footballer, and so I attempt to take pleasure in to the complete extent.”
That confidence is current in all of his solutions although, and however is most ample when drawing a comparability between himself and somebody you may be accustomed to.
“In the event you ask me if I’m nervous about reaching a variety of objectives, I’m not involved about that. You may examine it a bit with Benzema, I wish to play effectively, I like to assist the crew in possession. He’s not a participant who each sport is targeted on simply scoring objectives. And I believe you may examine it with him and my approach of taking part in. Each sport I’m attempting to assist the crew.”
Unabashed it must be mentioned, Eddahchouri states it naturally. There’s no pretence, it doesn’t sound like deliberate phrases from the aforementioned agent, it might be unfair to name it vanity from a participant who merely believes in his skills. And there are actually worse gamers to base your sport off.
𝑨𝒖𝒓𝒂.
Lleva el 3️⃣, pero es un 9️⃣ de categoría.
💙🤍 Primer gol Zakaria Eddahchouri con el @RCDeportivo. #LALIGAHYPERMOTION | #LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/WdO7wNPyxW
— LALIGA HYPERMOTION (@LaLiga2) February 13, 2025
Depor at the moment sit in eleventh in La Liga Hypermotion, 9 factors faraway from the golden sixth place and the promised land of the play-offs. In the event that they have been to make a late run for promotion, one thing the membership needs however doesn’t wish to demand prone to vertigo, it’ll doubtless contain a starring function for winger Yeremay Hernandez. Linked to host of rich golf equipment, most prominently Chelsea, it was inevitable that the Canary Islander would come up.
“In the event you play on the road, you may recognise within the first coaching session how good a participant is, but in addition if it clicks. I believe with my talents, it’s an excellent match with Yeremay. He’s a participant who comes inside and mix with others, I’m a participant who loves to mix and assault area, and he additionally has the attention to play these balls in behind.”
“So within the first coaching session, I noticed that we clicked very effectively, and it’s getting even higher,” he says of Yeremay, who little doubt can be helpful in a five-a-side too.
That seems to be the supply of Eddahchouri’s confidence, rising up with a ball at his ft. The 24-year-old explains that whereas Segunda is extra bodily than its Dutch equal, there are similarities within the educating of soccer, in what you study at academy degree. From his perspective, soccer schooling with out the onerous concrete grounding is lacking one thing.
“After I look now to the youth, once I examine it to myself, I believe taking part in on the road is the premise. While you see youngsters taking part in on the PlayStation, on the pc, it’s not good for his or her improvement. For myself, I used to be at all times taking part in on the road with my brothers and my associates,” a spot and a scene usually romanticised. However for Eddahchouri, it’s the basic earlier than you concentrate on the rest.
“And that’s the place the place you develop your primary skillset, after which over time, once you go into the academy, you may develop additional. However it’s important to have that foundation.”