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For some players, the road to the highest level is sometimes long and often strewn with pitfalls. Patience is essential. Aïssa Laïdouni is one of these late-blooming players. However, everything started well for this midfielder of Algerian and Tunisian origin who arrived in Anjou with the defender label. At 20, he made his debut with Angers, the club he joined a few months earlier. We are in April 2016. The rest is not encouraging. In disagreement with the SCO, the native of Montfermeil is loaned twice in National. First in Les Herbiers (27 matches – 1 goal in 2016-17) then in Chambly (18 matches – 2 goals in 2017-18). This is when a proposal from Romania arrives. At first reluctant, the player ends up accepting this destination, to say the least, unexpected for a high-level footballer trained in France, as one of his relatives explains to us.
“Of course, Romania at the beginning makes you think. Then he weighed the pros and cons with his wife and they decided to give it a go. Even though it was Romania, it was the first division anyway. “ Laïdouni arrives at FC Voluntari, a Romanian first division club. And he won’t regret his choice. In two seasons, he became one of the best players in the championship, totaling 52 matches, delivering 5 assists and scoring 7 times. Enough to arouse the interest of several European clubs. For a long time, Swansea thought he could afford the 24-year-old right midfielder. Laïdouni had even passed his medical examination, but the greediness of the Romanian leaders had finally derailed the operation. It was then that the Hungarian club Ferencvaros landed and ended up offering the player’s services. “Aïssa was obviously disappointed not to have been to Swansea, especially since everything was set for her arrival, even the flocking of her jersey. But he immediately bounced back and didn’t hesitate when Ferencvaros arrived ”, we are told.
He still hesitates between Algeria and Tunisia
A real progression for the player and the possibility of discovering the European Cup within a prestigious club and reigning champion of Hungary. As in Romania, the former Angers won immediately. His chest, his talent on the ball and his technique make him a pillar of Sergei Rebrov’s training. The latter uses it both as a sentinel and as number 8, his preferred position. In a few months, Aïssa Laïdouni became one of the best players in the championship and discovered the Champions League, a competition in which he took part in 5 of his team’s 6 matches. And not against just anyone since he faces Juventus and Barça and crowds the legendary lawns of Juventus Stadium and Camp Nou. Six months after his arrival, the results are now more than positive. Best player in the first leg of the Hungarian league, Laïdouni also stood out in C1, especially in Kiev against Dynamo where he stood out. A few days ago he was still on the front page of the main Hungarian sports daily Nemetzi Sport.
There is no doubt that with a second half of the season as successful as the first, there should be no shortage of courtiers during the next summer transfer window. Not enough to shake this player who has a foolproof mind. For him, the important thing is to gain consistency and maturity and the rest will come naturally. Starting with the national team, which he still has not chosen since he is eligible for both the Algerian team (by his father) and for the selection of Tunisia (by his mother). “I would not lie to you that today he clearly has the choice between Algeria and Tunisia, especially since the two countries have already requested it. But he wants to take his time and does not intend to rush. It is like that Aïssa ”, reveals this close to the player. Algeria or Tunisia, before going no doubt in a larger championship. Perhaps the start of something for a player still unknown in France …
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