Dutch professional footballers can be found in every corner of the world, from the spotlights of the major European competitions to the more adventurous employment on other continents. In the Over de Grens section, Football Zone talks weekly with a player who is active outside the country’s borders. This time attention to Fatih Karaarslan, who recently signed a contract with Ytterhogdals IK, which plays in Sweden’s fourth level.
By Jordi Tomasowa
“I started in the F’jes (Under 8, ed.) at the ASV Fortius football club in East Amsterdam”, Karaarslan explains. “In the E’tjes I made the switch to AVV Zeeburgia, where I played until the Under 19. At that moment I had in mind that I wanted to play in a first team somewhere. That is how I ended up with the Under 23 of FC Hilversum and at the beginning of this season I played at HMSH in The Hague.”
Thanks to his agent Thanasi Ntinoudis, Karaarslan was given the opportunity to sign a contract in Sweden in December. “I didn’t have to think about it that long. I wanted to gain experience abroad anyway. I did my research and Ytterhogdals seemed to be a good club. I have spoken to Dutch boys who have also played here. It is an old club, founded in 1919.”
“I thought it was a nice challenge. We train very hard now, three times a day. It is very different if you compare it with the Netherlands. Even if you play at a high level, you often don’t train there more than three times a week. It is great that I can now play football full-time.” With Ytterhogdals, Karaarslan is currently in the middle of preparing for the new season. “We play a practice game every week. The first league game is scheduled for April 2. I have been in Sweden for over a week now and I play together with four other Dutch guys: Keurten Martha, Emmanuel Kwalakita, Mike Dijkgraaf and Sem Daniel Muamba.”
Karaarslan says he was immediately well received by his new teammates. “Usually it takes a few weeks to get a good relationship with your teammates, but here it worked very quickly. It also helps that I play here with those Dutch guys. We quickly became friends and help each other with the things we need. Everyone just lives on their own, but when we have a day off, we are always together.”
Karaarslan with the selection of Ytterhogdals IK.
It also helps the defender that the Ytterhogdals’ trainer, assistant coach and technical director are all British. “It makes it easy to communicate, which I think is important. With a foreign adventure it can of course happen that there is a language barrier. Thomas Stewart, our coach, has played for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He is an experienced coach who has also played in Scotland, Ireland and the United States.”
Karaarslan cannot say much about the facilities of the club yet. “There is now half a meter of snow here. I think we can train on our own field in two weeks. Next week we will train on the artificial turf field of Östersunds FK, which plays on the second level. There is also a practice match against them on the schedule, which is a good indicator for us.”
Karaarslan does not hide the great ambitions of the club. “Last season, Ytterhogdals finished in the middle bracket, but the seasons before it was a club that always competed for the top places. We now want to do everything we can to become champions. There are also some English and Italian guys playing here. This is my first time playing in a 4-4-2 formation, but I think I can get used to it. I’m a left back myself. The trainer wants me to come on a lot and that is also a strong point of mine.”
Karaarslan has been living in Ytterhogdals for several weeks now and already feels at home in the small village. “It is a two-hour drive from Östersund. It’s very quiet here, but I do feel fine. Almost the entire selection lives in the same neighborhood, so that makes it cozier. My focus is on football. Of course you always have distractions, but very few here. I grew up in Amsterdam, so Ytterhogdals is of course a switch. In my spare time I often watch a game with teammates in the evening. Then you can relax. I also sometimes go swimming or to the sauna and I am now also learning Swedish.”
After a serious preparation, the left leg is now eager to play his first official matches. “We will play three exhibition matches in the coming weeks. The automatisms are slowly but surely being ground in and I think that the starting eleven will soon be attuned to each other, and we will also be top conditionally and physically. We play in Sweden’s fourth tier, but it’s better than I expected. I had imagined a slightly lower level and it seems as if we have already played together for a season. There are a lot of new guys, but the team spirit is good.” In any case, his agent Ntinoudis has confidence in Karaarslan’s successful period at Ytterhogdals. “Fatih worked hard for it. His transfer is therefore certainly deserved. It shows that with the right mindset and discipline you can achieve your goals.”