Ryan Babel released a new track and accompanying music video on Friday. in the number Open Letter An open-hearted attacker from Galatasaray looks back on moments in his career and sneezes at Ibrahim Afellay, with whom he played at the the Dutch squad. Babel suggests that Afellay has money problems. “Heard in the corridors you’re broke, bro”, Babel raps, among other things.
In the track, Babel says he “don’t even want to start talking about men on TV,” which he finds “lame.” An image of Veronica Inside threesome Wilfred Genee, Johan Derksen and René van der Gijp appears. Immediately afterwards, he also mentions Afellay and shows a photo of the former midfielder sitting on the bench at Barcelona. Bro I don’t know you from Barcelona, maybe more from PSV. Oh now you’re an analyst? Hmm so so. Heard in the corridors you’re broke bro. You say things you don’t think about that bro code anymore. But I understand if your career comes to a dead end.” In an Instagram story, Galatasaray teammate Patrick van Aanholt shows that he can appreciate the passage about Afellay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2PhmQT1tPo
In June, Babel already showed via Instagram that he was not a fan of Afellay. He then responded to a message from LaLiga, in which all Dutch (former) players of Barcelona were listed following the arrival of Memphis Depay. In the list was also the name of Afellay. In the comments, Babel used the clown emoji to describe Afellay, suggesting that the former midfielder should not be taken seriously.
It was then unclear where the disagreement between Babel and Afellay came from. Presumably, as an analyst, Afellay said things that did not appeal to Babel. In the run-up to the European Championship, Afellay mentioned Studio Football seven attackers he would include in the pre-selection and Babel was not among them. In the end, the 69-time international actually fell by the wayside.
In 2017 Babel told de Volkskrant that he was disappointed that he was not allowed to go to the European Championship 2012 and Afellay was. “I was fit and in shape. It’s nothing personal to Ibrahim Afellay, but he had been injured for a year and was okay,” Babel looked back. “That did not fit with the motto of national coach Bert van Marwijk. He said to me: Ryan, you have to play, otherwise I can no longer select you. That is why I went from Liverpool to TSG Hoffenheim, where I played everything. And yet I was not admitted. That was a frustration.”
In the song, Babel also speaks out against discrimination. He says that after the European Championship final between England and Italy he already saw that Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka would have a hard time after their missed penalties. “Not surprised, because in Holland it’s the same thing“, sings Babel, who shows a photo of players of the Dutch from 2014 that followed a lot of racist reactions. “If you help them win, they will still find you amazing. How they balliemangs (footballers, ed.) treating is slavery.”