The Kitchen Champion Division has been a breeding ground for national and foreign talents for decades and this season there are again many footballers with potential at the second level. Voetbalzone, the official media partner of the Kitchen Champion Division, highlights one of these talents every week, this time focusing on the only eighteen-year-old Mohamed Taabouni, who is currently striking from all angles and positions at Jong AZ.

By Thijs Verhaar

“It is indeed going quite reasonably”, opens Taabouni with a sense of understatement. In the first six games of the season, the attacking midfielder has already scored six goals and prepared two more, with which he was involved in more than half of all Young AZ goals. “I think it’s because I know the competition better now. We play against experienced guests who recognize situations better than we do ”, the youth analyzes. “I had to get used to last season and then I didn’t score. Now I know better what is expected of me and it is much easier. ” He scored once against Young PSV and Young FC Utrecht this season, while he successfully pulled the trigger twice against De Graafschap and MVV Maastricht.

“I notice that I am becoming more constant and I can see that I am a bit older and further,” said the midfielder. Taabouni, affectionately referred to as Mo by the Alkmaarders, already made his debut at the age of sixteen in the highest youth team and was also allowed to play in the main force last season. “That is super natural. This shows a lot of confidence and I am grateful to everyone within the club for that. ” For the time being, it has remained with that one cup match, but he was often allowed to train with the first team last year and this season has officially been moved to the first team. He did not get off the bench there in the first four league games, so he has every opportunity to develop further with matches at Young AZ.

Taabouni was already good for six goals and two assists at Young AZ in six games this season.

He himself calls this an ideal route. “Of course I want to break through with the first one as soon as possible, but it’s also not bad at all to play with the promises. The Kitchen Champion Division is a very nice podium and we have a really good team. Our trainer (Michel Vonk, ed.) Expects us to give everything in every game, so it is not that I can take it easy here. That’s not how I am myself, because I want to learn as much as possible. ” Taabouni indicates that he mainly depends on his creativity and overview. He directs the attacks from behind the strikers. “That has always been my strength. I’ve been with AZ since I was eleven and that’s the best choice I could have made. This club represents the youth and we also see that there is a lot of my own youth in the first team, so that motivates me enormously to keep working hard. ”

During the week, Taabouni notices on the training field that the technical staff of the first team also pay close attention to him. “Arne is very close to me”, the youth refers to head coach Arne Slot. “He really wants me to continue that good line of the past few weeks, but then I really have to become more consistent,” he says self-consciously. “Sometimes I’m still too lax or youthful in my game, so for a chance in the first team more needs to be done. Of course it is not fun to be kicked at training, but he does it in a good way. With a positive approach. I am also grateful for it, because in the end I will benefit from it for the rest of my career ”, says Taabouni, who has to think for a while when he is presented with the statement whether he would rather be top scorer of the Kitchen Champion Division this season or can play ten games in the first team.

Last season, Taabouni was allowed to fill in the main squad once, in the cup match against Groene Ster.

“That’s a tough one. Of course my goal is to win as many prizes as possible and it would be great to become the top scorer at Young AZ, but in the end the aim is to make it to the first team as quickly as possible, so then I go for those ten matches at first. That also fits better with the trajectory that the club and I have mapped out. ” It goes without saying that he follows the results of the main force closely, so he also knows that the team has already drawn three times. Doesn’t he have the feeling that he could have made the difference with a substitute by producing just one through ball or goal? “Of course you hope the coach gives you a chance, but to be honest I’m too focused on my own game to say if I would do better than the guys who are in it now. That gives me peace of mind. I know that that opportunity will only come if I keep improving myself and show it at Jong AZ. ”

According to Taabouni, his biggest gain in recent months has been in the mental aspect. “I’m getting more and more task-conscious in the field, so that also explains why this season is going so well.” The eighteen-year-old youth international played in all representative teams of Orange and last year won the European title with the Orange Under-17. “That was great to experience and I notice that I learn a lot from those kinds of competitions,” said Taabouni, born in Haarlem. With his background, however, he can also play for the Morocco and the national association has already approached him before the start of this season, the youngster confirms. “They have let me know that they are following me, but I have to break through at AZ first and then see if I will ever hit the high level that is required by a national team. Only then do I have to make a choice. The only thing I can say now is that I feel at home with the Oranje Onder-18 ”, is his diplomatic answer.

Taabouni played with the first team last week, which played a friendly match against Ajax (1-1).

When he first felt that his talent could make it to the pros, Taabouni finds it difficult to say. “I think when I got my first professional contract at AZ. I’ve always been very determined and want nothing more than to become a professional footballer. That undoubtedly helped me in my development and when I had that contract in front of me, I had the feeling that it could go quickly and it has been so far. I think you can say I knock on the door at first, yes. I hope that Arne sees it that way too. ” The youngster will only celebrate his nineteenth birthday in March next year and has already made 40 appearances in professional football. “Of course that makes me stronger and I also get a lot of strength from the support of my family. They are always there for me and the people within AZ help with everything. I’ve been here for seven years now and during that time the club has come to feel like a second home to me. I just feel really good here. ”

A shy laugh follows when he is asked if he ever does something other than playing football. “Of course I also have other hobbies, but I am very busy with football. It is simply my greatest passion. I dream of that big breakthrough and do everything I can to make it come true. ” His ultimate goal is to become a defining player at a top European club, but he has no time in mind when he hopes to exchange AZ for the Premier League or LaLiga, for example. “No, I don’t think so. Of course I hope to be remembered as a prize-taker at a super big club that stands for beautiful football, but that is only possible if you reach and keep a very high level. AZ is helping me perfectly with that, so I hope to be able to contribute to winning prizes with this club in the future. We’ll see what happens next. I just want to get the most out of my career and that is only possible if I continue to focus on the here and now every day. ”

Name: Mohamed Taabouni
Date of birth: March 29, 2002
Club: Young AZ
Position: Attacking midfielder
Strengths: creativity, insight, shot

Voetbalzone is the official media partner of the Kitchen Champion Division

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