Guus Hiddink impressed with PSV player: “I think he’s very fit now”
1 min readGuus Hiddink is full of praise for the way PSV player Ismael Saibari has developed and for the way Saibari is now making himself decisive for Morocco at the World Cup. The midfielder has already scored three goals in this tournament and will come on Tuesday night with the Moroccan team up against the Netherlands team.
In De Oranjezomer on SBS6, the former PSV coach speaks out about Saibari who will leave for FC Bayern München after the World Cup. Hiddink has known the midfielder for a long time, as the born Achterhoeker explains.
''I have spoken to Saibari several times. He comes through the youth ranks at PSV and during the time Philip Cocu was head coach, I have visited him on occasion and talked to him. Also about his ambitions. He wanted to succeed at PSV and grow further internationally'', Hiddink says on SBS6.
After that, the analyst says that he believes Saibari has also developed well physically, since from some quarters it was always said that the midfielder would be a bit too heavy. ''I think he’s very fit now. There was a period when I thought something could come off. Even though, of course, he is naturally robust,'' according to Hiddink.
Therefore, according to Hiddink, it is more than logical that Saibari has put himself in the spotlight at the European top. ''If you want to make yourself known internationally, you have to be technically very good, have pace, and also be quite strong. If you see how he wins duels now, including running and sprint duels… I find that beautiful'', said the former coach of PSV.
Comments12
I like the Cocu-era link, shows he's been on the radar for years. Still, i hope PSV can reinvest smartly, because losing Saibari hurts midfield balance even if it is a Bayern move. 🚀
Not a PSV fan, but fair play. The fact he is already decisive on the international stage and still looks fast in duels is scary. This is exactly what a top team wants.
"ook behoorlijk krachtig zijn" bruh that used to be the criticism. Props to Saibari, but i hope PSV gets a proper fee because this development is 100 percent worth the hype.
Tbh i agree with Guus that international level needs technique, speed, and duels. The wild part is that Saibari already had the technical base at PSV, he just added the physical edge.
Naah, fysiek fit oké, maar i want to see more of that when PSV has the ball, not only when Marokko can run. If he becomes a 2-way engine, then w, otherwise it's still a risk.
"Ik vind hem nu erg fit" echt een statement. If Bayern get him after the WK, it'll be because he now combines technique with power, not just flair. 💯⚽
Hiddink is spot on imo. The "too heavy" talk never made sense to me, it was more about needing the right conditioning and pace. If he keeps this level, he will walk into any top 6 role in Europe.
If Bayern are watching, this is the perfect pitch. Three goals at the WK and now playing stronger physically... but im curious if he can keep the same intensity against Dutch pressure on the counter 👀
"Ik vind hem nu erg fit" is precies wat we al weken zien. Saibari looks way sharper in duels and his sprint work is night and day from earlier seasons 🔥
Hiddink saying
Saibari scoring 3 at the World Cup and then immediately being the topic on Oranjezomer is mad. I think he improved his physical side under PSV, not just vibes. 👀🔥
Tbh Hiddink saying "Ik vind hem nu erg fit" is basically what we all hoped for. If Saibari is winning duels and sprintduels like he does now, Bayern can't ignore that.