Phenomenal Talent from Rotterdam

Figo, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, van Persie… All the big artist know him. Copy him. Play him…

Eric Cantona gave him his Man United shirt, Adriano wanted to shake his hand. He played in the Stade de France in Paris befor 80.000 people.

All the big football stars from all over the world know him, Soufiane Touzani, player of amateur club SC Feyenoord. “Cristiano Ronaldo did my trick “Touzani Round the World” in the Nike commercial. Ronaldinho knows me too, he plays me on the FIFA Street 2 Playstation game.” Soufiane is one of the characters in the immense popular computer game.

QA couple of years ago, Touzani flew to Canada with a group of other Dutch street-soccer players. The special moves of the characters in FIFA Street 1 where modeled after the Dutch players. “We got to wear these suits with all those sensors.” Flicks, drags, windmills, akka’s, panna’s, nutmegs, they were all there. The guys all like the normal football game, but freestyle is their thing. Touzani became very popular due to the game. Now, his moves can be viewed in several clips on the internet. With viewings in the 10,000s or more, Touzani got a lot of reactions from all over the world. “Yeah, there are many clips on the internet but most people love the first one from 2004 best.”

The Rotterdam council discovered Touzani as well. Touzani’s company Soccershowdown is contracted to give 1000 hours of lessons for schools. “The kids know me, I am a role model. Football has an identity, and if I can help these kids play freestyle I can maybe make a little bit of a change.”

Not long ago, he dreamed of a career as a pro. “That was my main goal. I played for several big amateur clubs and moved to the juniors of Haarlem and later Feyenoord.

But in 2002 it seems that Touzani’s spine is out of balance (scoliose) and that stops the wizard from a professional career. The only solution would be a intens operation, which would keep Touzani in bed for eight months. “The doctor told me already, that as a football freak I wouldn’t be able to stay in bed without a ball for so long. So, I had to promise him to refrain from playing field football and only to do tricks. Well, I can do that….”