For Abdelmajid Bouali, the past two years have been all about recovering and getting fit. The 24-year-old Amsterdammer left Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019 with a knee injury and has been without a club since then, but will return to professional football in the short term. Bouali now feels stronger than ever and is currently completing an internship at the Belgian KV Oostende, where he leaves an excellent impression.
By Chris Meijer
Photo: Abdelmajid Boualic
Little rest and no time to look back with satisfaction on the phase you have passed: in this way Bouali has worked hard on his recovery over the past two years. When he left Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019, he had already had to miss an almost full season due to a knee injury. In an earlier interview with Football zone Bouali said he wanted to complete the final phase of his rehabilitation before exploring options for a new club. That last phase of his rehabilitation took all in all a year. “The past year was all about getting fit,” Bouali says in conversation with Football zone. “I trained very hard, put in a lot of time and effort and had little rest. That ultimately resulted in the fact that I can be back on the field.”
Finally, three weeks ago, an opportunity at KV Oostende followed. The German trainer Alexander Blessin, who worked for RB Leipzig for many years, was informed via via that Bouali was available and was looking for a new left back next to Théo Ndicka Matam and Robbie D’Haese. “It turned out he still knew me and asked if I still played football and what I was doing now,” says the former youth player of FC Utrecht, Almere City, ADO Den Haag and Roda JC Kerkrade. “The intensity is a bit different here. Fortunately I have not been sitting still, I have also played matches with academies in the Netherlands. I spent hours in the gym, on the field and in the park. It is a world of difference compared to two years ago, I am fully trained and on weight again.”
‘Appie always told me that I am an Ajax-worthy player’
Football Zone previously spoke with Abdelmajid Bouali about his childhood on the Amsterdam squares, his move to Borussia Dortmund, the experiences in Germany and his bond with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Peter Bosz.
“It’s going pretty well, the supporters are very positive about me and everyone really wants me to sign here. The trainer is still working on it, with some things behind the scenes. He is quite positive, only the dots still need to be put on the i’s. It remains to be seen how or what.” KV Oostende will start the competition next Saturday with a home match against Charleroi. “I’m not in a hurry, but I would of course like to be eligible to play from the first league game. At least this feels like a reward, considering where I’m from. After an injury, it is still possible to come back to the highest level.”
If Bouali does not come out with KV Oostende, more possibilities beckon. He played in the spotlight in exhibition matches against Amiens and Royal Excel Moekroen. “It’s a question of who gives me a contract first, because a number of other clubs have also called Belgian and French. From the Netherlands it has remained fairly quiet. But I’m having a good time at KV Oostende, so the ball is now in their court”, says Bouali. He would in any case find the Jupiler Pro League a nice stage for his return to professional football. “Some of my friends also play in Belgium. Tarik Tissoudali, for example. I am in close contact with him. I then encounter them on the field and not outside, luckily. As it should be, as usual.”