«Everything went downhill» : Moroccan footballer Ihattaren reflects on losing his father
«When my dad was around, I could always say: my father's here. That gave me so much peace of mind—I could just focus and perform», Ihattaren said, offering a message to all footballing fathers. «You have to be present, no matter what. You have no idea how much that means to a boy».
He admitted the loss still weighs heavily. «When that was taken away from me, everything started to go downhill. Yeah, I still struggle with it», he said. Ihattaren described how his father was always in the crowd, standing with the fans behind the fences. «Everyone knew: that's my dad. That gave me such a boost. I used to think, I'm going to buy all of Morocco for you», he said with a heavy heart.
Today, he says, that motivation has shifted. «Now I feel that way about my mom. These past few years, I haven't given her what she deserves, because I wasn't in a good place. But now, she's my drive», he promised.
Born in Utrecht, Netherlands, to Moroccan parents, Mohamed Ihattaren currently plays as an attacking midfielder for RKC Waalwijk. A former PSV Eindhoven prodigy, he made his professional debut at 16. He later joined Juventus in 2021 but never played for them, with loan spells at Sampdoria and Ajax, followed by a brief stint at Slavia Prague. After personal struggles and a career downturn—compounded by allegations of ties to a Mocro Maffia member and accusations of domestic abuse—he returned to the Eredivisie in 2024, hoping to relaunch his career.
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