May 24. 2022

FC Bayern has signed Noussair Mazraoui from Ajax for next season. The 24-year-old is most at home in the right-back position but can also play in central midfield. 

Mazraoui first came to the attention of German football fans in October 2018, when the then 20-year-old scored the first of his three Champions League goals at Munich’s Allianz Arena of all places, helping Ajax earn a point in a 1-1 draw against Bayern in the group stage. He also ploughed the right flank for 90 minutes in the hard-fought 3-3 draw in the return fixture at the Johan Cruyff Arena. The young Ajax side were surprise semi-finalists that year, with Mazraoui missing just one match through suspension. The Moroccan also started in all eight matches in the Champions League campaign just gone as the Amsterdam outfit won all six of their group games – including two against Borussia Dortmund – for the first time in the club’s history before being knocked out by Benfica in the last 16.

The pacey full-back learned his trade in the Ajax academy, where he moved in 2006 at the age of eight from Alphense Boys, a club based in his home city of Alphen aan den Rijn. Mazraoui progressed through the Ajax youth and was even recognised as the club’s Talent of the Year in 2019 – joining a list of great names such as Rafael van der Vaart, Christian Eriksen and Matthijs de Ligt who have previously received the accolade. In February 2018, the defender made his first-team debut for the Dutch record champions as a substitute in a 3-1 win at NAC Breda. After that he established himself as a first-team regular at Ajax, making 137 appearances in all competitions (10 goals) for the club from the Dutch capital. He won the domestic double of the league and cup in 2019 and 2021 before winning the Eredivisie title again in 2022.

FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

CLUB CAREER STATISTICS

COURTESY FC BAYERN FOOTBALL CLUB & WIKIPEDIA COMMONS