Marco Bizot made it no secret this summer that he wanted to leave AZ for a club from abroad and eventually got his desired transfer to Stade Brest. Earlier, the closing item saw a move to Greece stall. When transfers to AEK Athens and Olympiacos did not take place, he said AZ made a new contract proposal. The Alkmaarders did not agree, after which a switch to Ligue 1 was initiated. Now that he plays in one of the five best competitions, Bizot finds it strange that he is not included in the pre-selection of the Dutch national team.
The thirty-year-old goalkeeper seemed well on his way to Olympiacos. Because the clubs could not agree on the amount of the transfer fee, the Greeks chose to continue with the transfer-free goalkeeper Tomás Vaclík. “I was sick of that. I and my agents had put a lot of energy into it. During my holiday in Crete, I actually only used the phone, five or six times a day,” says Bizot in an interview with The Telegraph.
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Bizot feared that he would not get away from Alkmaar when a transfer to Olympiacos failed for the second time. “I then made a proposal to AZ for a five-year contract. I wanted certainty. Thought: first goalkeeping for a few more seasons, then make way for a young goalkeeper and stay involved with the club a bit like Ron Vlaar. But Max (director of football affairs Huiberts, ed.) did not respond to that.” Stade Brest, which already inquired about Bizot in January, reported again for the keeper and then completed his arrival at a rapid pace.
Last Friday, Bizot took his club against Paris Saint-Germain (2-4), where the big stars Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Neymar did not play. In the first two games of the new season, the goalkeeper and his team surprisingly scored points against Olympique Lyon (1-1) and Stade Rennes (1-1). “For now, every game is a top game, just like Ligue 1 is a top competition. Names like Messi, Neymar and Sergio Ramos are good for publicity, but I think this league has been one of the five strongest leagues in the world for years.”
Now that Bizot is playing in a stronger competition, he was surprised when he did not see his name in the pre-selection of the Dutch national team. “To be honest, yes. I have just finished a European Championship, have made a step to a higher competition, have kept three duels and I am in top shape. Then it surprises me that I am not even in the pre-selection.” The new national coach Louis van Gaal chose Tim Krul, Justin Bijlow, Remko Pasveer and Joël Drommel in his pre-selection. He will announce his final selection this Friday.