For the first time since his return to PSV, Ibrahim Afellay chimed in during a preview of a PSV match. The club's new captain sat alongside Mark van Bommel on Thursday to shine his light on Ajax - PSV. 'For a match like that, you don't need to motivate anyone.'
Experience
Afellay speaks from experience. Before his departure from PSV, the captain played for the prizes for years, and often Ajax was the biggest challenger in them. "There is prestige at stake," the 33-year-old routinier knows. "And a prize, for such a match you don't need to motivate anyone. But next Tuesday's match is hugely important for the club and Dutch football. More important than the match for the Johan Cruijff Schaal," Afellay referred to FC Basel - PSV.
Quiet
That Afellay looked ahead Thursday does not mean he is already fit to get match minutes. "It looks good, but I'm not pinning a date on the first minutes. Of course I would like to be on the pitch, but that is not yet realistic at the moment," said the captain, who learned earlier this week that head coach Mark van Bommel will make him wear the captain's armband next season. "It's not new for me. I was captain here in my last period as well. Not much changes for me in that respect. I'm a bit more experienced and carry extra baggage with me."
Surprised
Whether Ibi was surprised to be given responsibility by Van Bommel, he could not say. "What is surprised? Maybe positively surprised. In the end, it doesn't change that much for me. It is of course a great honor," said Afellay, who concluded by explaining what he believes is involved in captaincy. "The most important thing is to be and stay yourself. I've always been someone who likes to interact with others. You shouldn't talk to people in a forced way, but rather in a natural way. Only then do you notice that people take things from you."