Mahdavikia lauds German experience

AFC - MEHDI Mahdavikia, provider of the most number of assists during the 2002/2003 Bundesliga season, has been voted the 16th top player of the league by German magazine Kicker.

The Iranian international midfielder has come a long way since making his debut appearance for Bochum almost five seasons ago, explaining that it was never a smooth ride as life at Pirouzi, his former club in Tehran, was a vastly different place.

"When I came to Bochum in 1998, I felt alone in the beginning and had many problems adapting to a different culture as it was my first time abroad," said Mahdavikia. "We were involved in a relegation battle right from the start, but unfortunately for me I played almost all the games and I learned a lot during those times.

"German football is much more physical than the style we prefer in Iran and Germans play a lot of attention to discipline."

Mahdavikia's international compatriot Ali Karimi, currently plying his trade at United Arab Emirates club Al Ahly, is a prime example of how talented players are taken off the streets and onto the international pitch.

Mahdavikia said aspiring footballers in Iran are not given a fair crack of the whip given the less than enviable conditions as compared to those in Germany, adding that he, like Karimi, have been fortunate to be able to make full use of their given opportunities.

"Conditions back home (in Iran) are much different from what German people are used to. Unlike in Germany, the kids don't usually have the opportunity to join clubs at a very young age. They don't play on proper grass pitches, and instead are used to playing on the streets.

"Just as I did when I was younger, the kids spend hours and hours out there on the streets and forget about everything else when they play football."