Nourdin Boukhari joins Nantes on free transfer
16 May: He was going to leave Ajax on a free transfer, then
Ajax changed their minds and decided
to offer him a contract renewal. And
now... he's leaving after all. Nourdin Boukhari has signed
a four year deal at French outfit FC Nantes. The
Moroccan Rotterdammer and former Sparta man was an
Ajacied for four seasons, although he spent one season
(2003-2004) on loan at NAC Breda.
Nourdin Boukhari (born Rotterdam, 30 June 1980) started
playing football for local amateur sides Neptunus and HOV
before entering the Sparta Rotterdam youth academy. He
made his first team début for the club from
'The Castle' on 09 February 2000. In the following three
seasons he had 76 league games for Sparta, in
which he scored 13 goals. Boukhari mostly played as a left
winger or as a 'number 10' for Sparta.
His transfer to Ajax on 23 July 2002 came as a surprise.
The club from Rotterdam-West were in financial trouble and had
to sell their playmaker. In his first season as an Ajacied
Boukhari had 22 Eredivisie appearances (6 goals), mostly as a
substitute and always as a left winger.
Not a bad start, but the Ajax staff felt that Boukhari was
not ready for Ajax-1 just yet. On
04 September 2003 Ajax announced that the player was
going to be loaned out to NAC Breda for one season. At NAC
Boukhari became a starter: he played 28 Eredivisie games and
netted 5 times, including (of course...) a goal
against Ajax.
Coach Ronald Koeman added Boukhari to his squad again in the
summer of 2004. In the 2004-2005 campaign, Boukhari once again
failed to conquer a starting slot. He had 23 Eredivisie
appearances, mostly as a sub and scored 4 times, including
a brace
of goals at NAC's MyCom Stadium in Breda, this time on
behalf of Ajax.
Towards the end of the 2004-2005 campaign Boukhari's days at
Ajax seemed numbered. The new head-coach, Danny Blind, did not
seem to rate him. Boukhari was put on the 'transfer list', but
once again proved that he is a 'diehard' and won't give up
easily. On
05 August 2005 Boukhari had what was arguably his best game
ever for Ajax, in the Johan Cruyff Shield match against PSV
(2-1).
During the season, however, Boukhari failed to impress and
the discussion continued: is Nourdin Boukhari good enough for
Ajax or not? Ajax gave the answer to that question by telling
Boukhari that his expiring contract was not going to be
renewed. It says a lot about Boukhari's wonderful attitude that
he pur his shoulder to the wheel, was unimpressed by negative
crowd reactions and - one last time - started to improve. He
had a wonderful series of games towards season's end,
particularly in the inaugural play-offs. He played so well
that Ajax changed their minds.
Club and player were talking about a contract renewal when
FC Nantes Atlantique made the proverbial 'offer one can't
refuse'. Nourdin Boukhari has chosen for a challenge abroad,
after precisely 100 official games (19 goals) for
Ajax. His new club were champions of France only a
few years ago, but thoroughly disappointed in the last two
seasons. Now their ambition has returned: next
season Nantes wish to return into the spotlights. If
they fail it will surely have nothing to do with Nourdin
Boukhari's mentality. (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl
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