Muslim footballer speaks out on racism in the Netherlands
The winger shares his painful experiences and his decision to move to Morocco after his career
AMSTERDAM (MNTV) – In an extensive interview with NU.nl, Bilal Ould-Chikh, a prominent Muslim footballer, recalled some shocking abuse that came his way this season.
The FC Volendam winger alleged that he was called a “Cancer Muslim.”
Pairing this recent disgusting remark with a long-standing feeling of being structurally excluded due to his background, Ould-Chikh is prepared to move away from the Netherlands after his football career.
Ould-Chikh, who was born in Roosendaal, helped FC Volendam secure promotion to the Eredivisie on Monday evening.
The stats of Ould-Chikh are phenomenal: 35 matches, 5 goals, 17 assists — a total of 22 goal contributions in just 35 games.
Despite his sparkling form, Ould-Chikh had already expressed suspicions of facing racism from some of his supporters earlier last month, according to football media outlet, OneFootball.
This was followed by a statement from FC Volendam, which indicated that neither the club nor Ould-Chikh would make any further statements on the issue.
“Sometimes I can’t explain why I am approached more critically than others, other than on the basis of my background,” said Ould-Chikh.
“I remained polite in interviews. But people need to realize how much I have experienced in recent years in terms of discrimination and racism.”
The winger went on to share his experiences with discrimination at various stadiums. “It happens everywhere. At ADO Den Haag’s stadium, at FC Den Bosch. Earlier this season, I was called a ‘cancer Muslim’ there.”
Things also went wrong in Emmen, where he scored the winning goal last season.
“Afterwards, an older man came up to me. ‘Nice goal, but too bad someone of your kind scores it,’ he said. His friends immediately said he was crazy. Still: how can you say something like that?”
Although these painful incidents haven’t entirely overshadowed the joy he’s found at Volendam, Ould-Chikh remains certain that after his career, he will leave the Netherlands for Morocco.
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