Catholic 'My First Spike' 9th Iba (Yokohama FC) Vol.1 【Teen who went to practice while delivering newspaper】
Yokohama FC's Iba, who won the J2 top scorer in 2017. We will explore the history of Iba, who has Moroccan and Norwegian nationality and has experience on the Norwegian futsal team, through the lens of cleats. (Rie Kato)
KING GEAR Editorial Department
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2017/12/18
Kato: Iba is born in Morocco, is he raised in Norway?
Iva:Yes. My parents were Moroccans born in Morocco. But I was born and moved to Norway in about 2 months so I spent most of my time in Norway.
Kato: Yokohama FC's official HP wrote that "The country you want to go to Morocco" is not it?
Iva: I have relatives in Morocco so I sometimes go back to relax. It is a place like a place to return for every holiday.
Kato: Well, I guess it looks like a country grandmother's house in the summer vacation (laugh)
IvaBut now I live in Japan, so the place to go back to Norway became Norway (lol) First my parents are in Norway so I went back to Norway first, then Morocco.
Kato: I do not understand much about Morocco, but ...
Iva: I have not been to the World Cup for about 20 years now, but I won the competition this time! I think that it is getting better but ... I guess Japanese football is better (lol)?
Kato: Although it is Africa, it is close to Spain, and there are images that various people and culture seems to be mixed.
Iva:I agree. It is a different impression from other countries in Africa because it is close to Europe.
My house is about 30 minutes by boat from Malaga, Spain! It's a beautiful place.
Every day is nice weather, food is tasty ... It's like Hawaii (laugh)!
Kato: Hawaii (haha)! What? It will be something I want to go on every holiday ~
Iva: It is not just a rich country like Hawaii, and the situation is not that good. But, it is a really beautiful country.
Kato: I have not lived a little, but I have a strong feeling for Morocco, right?
Iva:I agree. I lived in Morocco when I was just born and lived in the early teens for about a year after my father told me to live in Morocco.
However, as there are relatives and people with deep relationships, I feel like I got home when I returned to Morocco after all. I also want to live after I am old.
Kato: When you lived in Morocco when you were in your teenager, have you started football already?
Iva:Yes. Although I was not learning, I play soccer on the street everyday with my friends.
Kato: Mainly street?
Iva: Of course there are clubs, but children have lots of soccer on the street. I think street soccer is very good.
I find fun from voluntarily doing in a harsh environment ... A good player is born from there.
Kato: Athletic shoes are on street ...
Iva: Not not! Almost everyone else is barefoot (laugh) Of course, the professional team's academy has all the tools, but for anything else the tools etc ...
Kato: When first contacted football was when you were in Norway?
Iva:Yes. I am the youngest of five brothers, but since all the older brothers were playing soccer, I longed to see it! I was beginning with nature. I am the only one who turned out to be a professional after all.
Kato: What is the football environment for children in Norway?
Iva: Free courts of artificial turfs made by government and municipalities are located in various places. I was in the neighborhood of my house and I practiced there a number of times I could not count it anymore.
Kato: It seems that education and the environment are solid in Norway and there are many good schools.
Iva:I agree. My son roughly entered the school from about 9 years old, but my house could not afford to pay the school's monthly fee, so I was doing it with my friends at a coat that I can use for free.
Kato: Are there many people in Norway who moved from other countries like Iba players?
Iva: A lot, it is very much. There are also people who came to work from Poland and refugees, and from around the world. Norway is a relatively wealthy country.
Kato: Children of various countries gathering for free soccer field?
Iva: Yes, there were truly children in various countries. Of course the Norwegian children, too. Everyone was footballing all day.
Kato: Why did you enter the team and started learning football seriously?
Iva: It has been quite large, about 15, 6 years old.
Kato: Er! It is rather unusual.
Iva: That's right ~. Because I had family help and part-time job, I was doing it on street and free coat all the time.
After entering the youth team with practice repeated ... ... My father seems to have thought "I want to work more" (laugh)
17歳の時にプロ契約をして、やっと家族を助けられるようになりました。
Kato: Were you working! What? What kind of things are you doing?
Iva: I was doing newspaper delivery. It was hard! Running before delivery, delivering, practicing, when you finish, run again and deliver it repeatedly! At that time I did not get fat without eating anything (laugh)
Kato: Iba players were also doing futsal?
Iva:Yes. Norway can not do anything with heavy snowfall during the winter. Soccer is difficult, of course. That's why I do futsal with nature.
Many futsal tournaments were also held during the winter, and if I also participated in various places ... ... I finally got chosen as a representative.
Kato:I see! Why from soccer player to futsal representative? I was thinking.
Iva: Oh ~ That's right (laugh) But, two of the players who were playing together at the representative are playing in a club that will appear in the Champions League and one was playing in Naples.
Besides myself, other players are both doing soccer and futsal in Norway!
Kato: That's right!
Iva: Futsal is a good exercise to hone skills. Maradona, Ronaldinho, Neimar, Cristiano, Messi ... all the big, big and big stars in the world were doing futsal.
Well I did it without knowing it (laugh) But I simply liked futsal and I was doing it because I was in an environment where I could do futsal. But in the end it got a good effect later on, did not he?
<Continue to Vol.2>
Cooperation in coverage / Yokohama FC http://www.yokohamafc.com/
Photo & Editing / Kohei Kikuchi
<Continue to Vol.2>
Cooperation in coverage / Yokohama FC http://www.yokohamafc.com/
Photo & Editing / Kohei Kikuchi
