HJK 2025 - Toiminnan alasajo
Köksy on antanut haastattelun jollekin
Noordholland Dagbladetille (maksumuuri), sivuaa myös vähän ’
Ajax van Scandinaviëtta’.
Kökcü traded the 'Ajax of Scandinavia' for Volendam's eel football: 'Happy to be playing in the Eredivisie'
Ozan Kökcü swapped European football with HJK Helsinki for Volendam. The adventure with – as he calls it – the 'Ajax of Scandinavia' wasn't what he expected. "I'm happy to be entering the Eredivisie with Volendam."
Ozan Kökcü is expected to become FC Volendam's creative brain this season. In the first friendly against the amateurs of Purmersteijn, the midfielder from Haarlem immediately made his mark with two assists – both headed in by Xavier Mbuyamba – and a goal. A great start, indeed. "That's a great feeling. In every match, regardless of the opponent, I want to be important with my specific qualities, like my shooting. And scoring a goal is always nice."
So, behind the Dijk, the proverbial sun is shining for the footballer, who grew up at Feyenoord and, via Bursaspor, RKC, Telstar, and Eindhoven, ended up in Helsinki. He's happy to trade that adventure for the Eredivisie. "My last season in the KKD (first division, ed.) with Eindhoven, I was already working on a move to the Eredivisie. But it was a long wait. Then came Helsinki, a big name in Scandinavian football. But I knew absolutely nothing about football in Scandinavia. They play for the championship every year, and also for the European Championship. I really wanted that experience. Those European matches were great. But the league wasn't what I expected. Helsinki is the 'Ajax of Scandinavia' or the 'Feyenoord of Finland,' something like that, but it was all a bit disappointing. That's why I decided to return. I'm thrilled with Volendam."
Kökcü says he feels at home in the former fishing village. "Volendam is a real people's club. And I know Volendam has delicious fish. I'm going to try all of it. Eel, right? But seriously, the first impression is very good. It's going really well. I had a very good conversation with Rick (Kruys, ed.) and Patrick (Busby). I had another option for the Eredivisie, but after talking with these gentlemen, I chose Volendam."
In Volendam, the technically gifted footballer can likely prepare for relegation. Coach Kruys wants to combat that with five defenders and wingbacks. Kökcü doesn't see that as a problem. "We have to be realistic. It will be more of a struggle this season with that system, but there's nothing wrong with that. We're practicing more systems. But I'm fine with it. We played that way at Eindhoven, Telstar, and in Helsinki. So I'm familiar with it, and personally, it doesn't really matter to me which system we use."
Is Volendam the final destination for the 26-year-old from Haarlem, or just a stepping stone? After all, he signed a one-year contract (with a club option for another year). However, Kökcü isn't ready to reveal his ambitions in that regard. "Do I want to take another step? Well, I've just started here at Volendam. We have a goal of staying in the top flight, and that's what I'm focusing on. What happens next? We'll see."
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