Hadj Moussa Returns to Feyenoord Squad for Barcelona Clash After Apology
Feyenoord have restored Anis Hadj Moussa to their travelling squad for Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Barcelona at Camp Nou after the Algerian winger apologised to his team-mates following a disrupted few days.
Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst confirmed that the 24-year-old is available again after missing Saturday’s league win over NEC. Hadj Moussa had arrived late twice and was left out because, in Van Bronckhorst’s view, his focus was not sufficiently on the match.
The situation developed amid interest from Al-Ittihad. The Saudi Arabian club submitted a multi-million-euro proposal, but the move collapsed when the required bank guarantee was not provided before the window closed.
Hadj Moussa addresses Feyenoord squad
After the failed transfer, Hadj Moussa returned to full training and spoke directly to the Feyenoord players during Tuesday’s session in Spain. Van Bronckhorst said the winger accepted responsibility for his conduct and that the group had been able to move on after internal talks on Sunday.
“He spoke to the group on the training ground,” Van Bronckhorst said. “It was a serious moment, although the squad also laughed at times. It helped us draw a line under it.”
The Feyenoord coach described the player’s decisions around the NEC match as unacceptable, but welcomed the way he responded once it was clear no transfer would take place. Van Bronckhorst still regards Hadj Moussa as an important player, particularly in matches of Wednesday’s stature.
“Once the transfer did not happen, he moved on,” the manager said. “There could hardly be a better game for him to show what he can do on the pitch.”
Teenage Schaken included for Barcelona trip
Hadj Moussa is expected to be in contention against Barcelona as Feyenoord begin their Champions League group-stage campaign. The Rotterdam side have also taken 17-year-old Jerayno Schaken, who could make his senior debut, while Reiss Nelson has not travelled because of injury.
Feyenoord arrive in Spain following their domestic victory over NEC and will seek to carry that result into a demanding European opener. Van Bronckhorst’s immediate task is to ensure the recent transfer uncertainty does not distract his side at Camp Nou.
