Anis Hadj Moussa Returns to Feyenoord Squad for Barcelona Clash
Anis Hadj Moussa back in Feyenoord fold as Van Bronckhorst draws line under transfer saga
The drama is over. At least, that’s the message from Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Anis Hadj Moussa, at the centre of a turbulent few days in Rotterdam, is on the plane and in the Feyenoord squad for Wednesday night’s Champions League clash with Barcelona at Camp Nou. The Algerian winger, who was left out of the weekend league win over NEC after twice turning up late, has been brought back into the fold.
On Saturday, Van Bronckhorst was blunt: Hadj Moussa’s head was not in the game. The disruption traced back to a multi-million euro offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, a move that collapsed when the club failed to provide the necessary bank guarantee. The deal died. The fallout did not – at least not immediately.
In Spain on Tuesday, the tone had changed.
At Feyenoord’s pre-match press conference, Van Bronckhorst detailed how the 24-year-old had taken responsibility in front of his team-mates and earned his way back into the group. During training, Hadj Moussa gathered the squad and spoke directly to them, a gesture his manager clearly valued.
“He addressed the group on the training pitch,” Van Bronckhorst said. “It was serious and occasionally met with a laugh from the squad. It was a good way to put this behind us.”
The coach did not excuse the behaviour. He called the winger’s matchday choices unacceptable. But once the transfer window slammed shut and the Al-Ittihad move officially collapsed, the response changed. So did Hadj Moussa.
“When the deal fell through, he turned the page,” Van Bronckhorst added. “There is no better match for him to let his feet do the talking.”
Inside the dressing room, Sunday’s internal discussions appear to have cleared the air. Van Bronckhorst stressed that players and staff have moved on together and underlined that Hadj Moussa remains one of his key weapons, a player capable of deciding big games on nights exactly like this one.
The winger has resumed full training and is in line to feature against the Spanish giants under the Camp Nou lights on Wednesday evening. From transfer target to potential Champions League difference-maker in a matter of days – football moves quickly, and Feyenoord intend to use that to their advantage.
There is also a glimpse of the future in the travelling party. Seventeen-year-old Jerayno Schaken has been included and could make his debut on the biggest stage of all, while Reiss Nelson stays behind through injury, a notable absentee as the Dutch champions open their European campaign.
Domestically, Feyenoord arrive in Spain on the back of a confidence-boosting victory over NEC. Now they want to bottle that performance and pour it out again in the group phase, this time against one of Europe’s superclubs.
The noise around Hadj Moussa has dominated the build-up, but Van Bronckhorst’s message is clear: the talking stops now. From here, it’s about 90 minutes, Barcelona, and whether Feyenoord can turn a week of off-field turbulence into a statement on it.
