Bodrum FK
Ç. Rizespor
Esenler Erokspor
Keçiörengücü
Not. Forest
Crystal Palace
Valencia
Las Palmas
Hellas Verona
Monza
When looking at Aymen Barkok during training camp in Marbella, the impression he leaves is that he is feeling at peace, both at FSV and with himself. Having joined last summer from Eintracht Frankfurt, Barkok has left a very positive impression since then. “Aymen has underlined his desire to play more by the way he trains and the shape he’s in. I’ve not seen him look like that so often during his time with us. I like it and he needs to keep working on it,” said Bo Svensson, who can clearly see that Barkok is looking to build a case as to why he should start in midfield. “The first half to the season definitely wasn’t satisfactory. I think that now is the right time to break through,” said Barkok, who used the winter break to rest and recharge in a meaningful way.
It’s nothing new, that new arrivals at FSV sometimes need time to settle in. In order to get used to Svensson’s style of play and his philosophy, it’s important to also remain injury-free. Barkok has also struggled following his arrival in Mainz. “It was a bit tough at the start. I was stressed about moving, was injured or wasn’t able to train and didn’t play a lot,” he remembers. So far, he has featured for just 77 minutes in the Bundesliga for the Zerofivers and in the DFB-Pokal against VfB Lübeck, where he scored his first goal for the club. In order to pick up more playing time, Barkok drove to Aalen at his own request in order to feature for the U23s.
Now, it’s behind me and I’m enjoying being here and having fun playing football.
With the exception of a two-year-long loan spell at Fortuna Düsseldorf, the Frankfurt native has never left home and his boyhood club, Eintracht Frankfurt. The move to a new city and a new club with new teammates and coach was a lot to adjust to. “You need to find your way into the routines and integrate yourself. The coach has high expectations for us. The players here also have different personalities, so you have to get used to it which took some time. Now, it’s behind me and I’m enjoying being here and having fun playing football,” said Barkok.
A long meditation session
The winter break was much longer than usual, even for Barkok. He had hoped to be part of the Moroccan squad competing at the World Cup, but didn’t make the cut. Instead, he cheered on the team from home. “I’m a religious person. They say, if it’s not written for you, then you have to accept it,” the midfielder said.
You wake up, eat, pray and go to bed. That’s what you do every day.
His faith was also what led him to undertake a spontaneous trip with a friend during the winter break, as they spend six days on a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. “What I did is called ‘Umrah.’ You can do it, but it’s not mandatory for Muslims. You do the ‘Tawaf,’ where you walk seven times around the ‘Kaaba,’ like in the ‘Hajj,’ ” he explained. For Barkok, it was the first time he had done so. “I just wanted to see it and do something for my soul,” he said, comparing it to a long meditation session. “You wake up, eat, pray and go to bed. That’s what you do every day,” he said. In doing so, the 24-year-old was able to rest and recharge his batteries ahead of the second half of the season.
Make it a difficult choice for the coach
The first week of training in Marbella got off to a good start for Barkok, as confirmed by Svensson. The midfielder is now looking to consistently perform and has set himself the goal of playing more. “I want to make it a difficult for the coach to not play me,” he explained. He is looking forward to tackling the upcoming challenges together with the team, which include not getting drawn into a relegation battle. Barkok also can’t wait for the DFB-Pokal game against FC Bayern on 1st February, having won the cup in 2018 with Frankfurt. “The Pokal is anyone’s game, even if you’re up against Bayern. Anything can happen in 90 or 120 minutes.”
When looking at Aymen Barkok during training camp in Marbella, the impression he leaves is that he is feeling at peace, both at FSV and with himself. Having joined last summer from Eintracht Frankfurt, Barkok has left a very positive impression since then. “Aymen has underlined his desire to play more by the way he trains and the shape he’s in. I’ve not seen him look like that so often during his time with us. I like it and he needs to keep working on it,” said Bo Svensson, who can clearly see that Barkok is looking to build a case as to why he should start in midfield. “The first half to the season definitely wasn’t satisfactory. I think that now is the right time to break through,” said Barkok, who used the winter break to rest and recharge in a meaningful way.
It’s nothing new, that new arrivals at FSV sometimes need time to settle in. In order to get used to Svensson’s style of play and his philosophy, it’s important to also remain injury-free. Barkok has also struggled following his arrival in Mainz. “It was a bit tough at the start. I was stressed about moving, was injured or wasn’t able to train and didn’t play a lot,” he remembers. So far, he has featured for just 77 minutes in the Bundesliga for the Zerofivers and in the DFB-Pokal against VfB Lübeck, where he scored his first goal for the club. In order to pick up more playing time, Barkok drove to Aalen at his own request in order to feature for the U23s.
Now, it’s behind me and I’m enjoying being here and having fun playing football.
With the exception of a two-year-long loan spell at Fortuna Düsseldorf, the Frankfurt native has never left home and his boyhood club, Eintracht Frankfurt. The move to a new city and a new club with new teammates and coach was a lot to adjust to. “You need to find your way into the routines and integrate yourself. The coach has high expectations for us. The players here also have different personalities, so you have to get used to it which took some time. Now, it’s behind me and I’m enjoying being here and having fun playing football,” said Barkok.
A long meditation session
The winter break was much longer than usual, even for Barkok. He had hoped to be part of the Moroccan squad competing at the World Cup, but didn’t make the cut. Instead, he cheered on the team from home. “I’m a religious person. They say, if it’s not written for you, then you have to accept it,” the midfielder said.
You wake up, eat, pray and go to bed. That’s what you do every day.
His faith was also what led him to undertake a spontaneous trip with a friend during the winter break, as they spend six days on a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. “What I did is called ‘Umrah.’ You can do it, but it’s not mandatory for Muslims. You do the ‘Tawaf,’ where you walk seven times around the ‘Kaaba,’ like in the ‘Hajj,’ ” he explained. For Barkok, it was the first time he had done so. “I just wanted to see it and do something for my soul,” he said, comparing it to a long meditation session. “You wake up, eat, pray and go to bed. That’s what you do every day,” he said. In doing so, the 24-year-old was able to rest and recharge his batteries ahead of the second half of the season.
Make it a difficult choice for the coach
The first week of training in Marbella got off to a good start for Barkok, as confirmed by Svensson. The midfielder is now looking to consistently perform and has set himself the goal of playing more. “I want to make it a difficult for the coach to not play me,” he explained. He is looking forward to tackling the upcoming challenges together with the team, which include not getting drawn into a relegation battle. Barkok also can’t wait for the DFB-Pokal game against FC Bayern on 1st February, having won the cup in 2018 with Frankfurt. “The Pokal is anyone’s game, even if you’re up against Bayern. Anything can happen in 90 or 120 minutes.”
