Nooh Al-Mousa

Transcription

The squares in Antwerp are the heart of the city Young people dream of a future there On the squares everyone is working on their road to success <i>This is my story, my struggle.</i> <i>Is it a pity or a blessing ?</i> <i>Everyone has a cross to bear.</i> <i>I'm bearing more than two.</i> <i>The streets and my team are my home.</i> <i>That's why I am here.</i> <i>Every square has its own story.</i> <i>I guarantee ours will be the very best.</i> <i>Everyone is born</i> <i>with at least one talent.</i> <i>I will find out</i> <i>I've got more than I think.</i> <i>I have to be strict, handle with respect</i> <i>the gifts I received from above.</i> <i>A God-given gift, a compliment.</i> <i>When I go, it will make me happy,</i> <i>Give me a push,</i> <i>encourage me to persist.</i> <i>But I must have confidence in me,</i> <i>and not curse at friends,</i> <i>who don't work on or want my future.</i> <i>I hear talk.</i> <i>Everyone assuming I'll never make it.</i> <i>That hurts, and I bottled it up</i> <i>'till it ate away at me.</i> <i>I only wanted revenge. 'Just you wait':</i> <i>hateful words I etched in my head.</i> <i>But now I'm letting it go</i> <i>before I ruin it for myself.</i> <i>I'll make it with pride.</i> <i>From the pit to the gutter,</i> <i>from the street to the top.</i> The Squares The square is the most important thing in my life. I think few people got as much out of the square as I did. You get here, there's no entrance fee, no ID check, nothing. You walk in, the threshold is very low. You can just come here. I get home from school, toss my bag, put on my shoes, my ball, off to the square. Go to school, with friends, go home, change, kick a ball on the square. The secret is the game, the fun of it. And sharing that fun. Often, these squares are regarded as a place for scum, but that's not true. This square was the only place where I could really be a kid. I'm Amar Zouggaghi from Den Bleek, the square near Bloemstraat. We play indoor football at FT Antwerp. And I work at JES as a youth worker. I think the square is the most important thing in my life. The square gave me football, it gave me my job. I grew up here. From football I moved on to indoor football. Shoot! tournament Borgerhout We have six little ones. We'll do the preliminary rounds of the little ones. Then we'll do the big ones, and in between, the qualifiers. They're fewer. - Six of them. The others are with 20. -We'll go with the six. And the Kiel boys are late. There's 21 of them. Den Bleek is the best square in the country. The best players are from here. Bad, because when we went to play a match, they already knew that we were the favourites. And it usually turned out that way. We won lots of trophies. The best players are from here, even if they didn't break through. But everybody feared Den Bleek. Good keeper, good wing player, but he's always daydreaming, like he's been smoking a joint. - Shut up, it'll be on TV. Lost twice ? - Then they'll play for 5th and 6th. For 5th and 6th place. This has never happened to you before, has it. The harsh reality. - In sports you win and lose. You can lose from anyone on the square. - Why are you crying ? Don't cry, kid. Soon you can play with in the 12 to 14 age group. How come you lost ? - The others in the team are much older. The opposing team ? - The keeper is in two different teams. No problem. - We're going to Brussels, Anderlecht. We're playing the cup final against Chatelineau. We'll do everything to bring the cup to Antwerp. I have a good feeling. The Belgian cup would be the icing on the cake. We worked hard all year. I want that trophy at any cost. Boys, this is what we worked hard for all season: The Belgian cup final. Today the crucial element will be the details. Details are in the mind. Under pressure. You can pick out top players under pressure. Believe me. Those are crucial moments. One match, two halves of twenty minutes, and we have the trophy. We don't need any presents. Everything we win, we earn. We've been in first place all year. Today we put the icing on the cake. We'll take the cup. We don't even need to stay for the sandwiches and coke they promised. No need. We'll take the cup and go back to Antwerp. That cup is ours today. All of you. We all believe. We're certain. Come on. Belgian cup final This is ours, for our families and friends, for all of Antwerp. Who is going to win here ? Who ? - We will. Come on. Good. Keep your position. Watch your opponent. Amar. Clumsy, clumsy, clumsy. All in all, one, two, three... four tattoos. So, not as many as my brother, but... This was my first tattoo, my Chinese zodiac sign. It's not that I regret it, but it was my first, so it will always be special. These here mean 'dream' and 'love' in Japanese. And this is the name of my girlfriend, Kenza. That's Celtic. I did it because she kind of changed my life. Changed it completely, really. This is my mother's name in the Elvish language of Lord Of The Rings. I had it done together with my brother. My mother did just about anything for me, she even talked for me. That's why I had great difficulty... When she was gone, it was very difficult for me, because I was on my own. Luckily, I met Kenza. Now, I feel strong. I think we... We've grown a lot closer. Some people even say we sound the same, and stuff. But I think that's normal, since we live together. We watch a lot of football. It's become more and more the last few years. Football is our life, I guess. Everything revolves around it. For Kenza as well. Before, she hardly knew anything about football. But by now she's a complete fanatic, even worse than I am. I've always been rather sporty, so I took to football quite easily. I like it, now that I know the rules. Yes, true. - I think it's fun. I'm Riana Nainggolan. I started playing football at De Bloementuin. Currently I play in the women's team of Antwerp. What else ? - Hold the onion. What else ? - Ten Capri Suns. Ten ? Seriously ? OK. Five euros, please. Only five euros ? - Seven euros, please. That's what I thought. - Stupid of me. By the way, this is a legendary location. We filmed our first video clip here, because this square symbolises Kiel. This is what every hip-hop collective needs. Their stomping ground, like they say. A home, the place where the group comes from. The group is from Antwerp, and we are from Het Kiel. We started in Het Kiel. You must spread all over Antwerp like a virus, to represent Antwerp. From there we spread to Flanders, then all of Belgium. It's unique, we're like the symbol of hip-hop in Belgium. When people think of hip-hop in Belgium, they think of NoMoBS. Isn't that our CD ? - Yes, it is. That's what we want. Music has to pump. Music has to pump in the car. That's what we want. I remember the first time he came to my house. It was... This was his dream, watching dudes drive by with his music pumping in their car. That was his dream. - That was fun. Hello. Hi. Are you at Bisthovenplein ? Yes, I'll be there shortly. Yes, we'll see each other there. OK, mate. See you. I'm Adnan Arhoun, born and raised at Bisthovenplein, youth worker at JES. And if I were you I'd keep my legs closed, or risk a panna. Bisthovenplein is one of the best-known street football squares in Antwerp. People came from all over to play here. It was known as as football square with very good players. It was a challenge to play here. Football was very important to me, especially from the age of 13 to 18. I was crazy about football. I played for GBA, Germinal Beerschot. I was in the same group as Tom De Mul, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen, Moussa Dembélé, Prince, Stanley. I played in the same team as those guys, we trained together, and we were friends. We get the ball. Four against four. Boys, in street football terms it's all about panna. Come on. There were many well-known football players, who now play at high levels, and I used to give them panna, kick the ball between their legs. I enjoyed it immensely. I still love the game till this day. Make someone look like a fool with a shot, not so much the shot, but doing it in a way that makes them look ridiculous. You can't learn that technique. Here you learn to do your best with a move or by kicking it through their legs. I've had some pretty good times here. When I pass by here every day, every spot here holds memories for me. Many top football players won't forget about me any time soon. This was my youth, you only experience it once. Salah ? - Please don't break my door. Oh, I'm sorry. - You don't have to break it. I'm Salahdine Ibnou Kacemi. I'm from Het Kiel, Antwerp. My stomping ground is the Alfons De Cockplein. And I'm a member/producer/rapper with the NoMoBS collective, which stands for No More Bull Shit. Just so you know. Throw in the drums. It's like in real life. You work at it until you've got something to deliver. I've known Salah for over ten years, I know what he can do. Everywhere I go, people recognise our Salah beats. We're well-known for our beats, because they're unique and very catchy. Why is that ? It's simple, if I say so myself: He adds spice to his beats, his identity, not just commercial stuff. Each beat tells a story, has a dimension and can transport you to another world. <i>In the jungle.</i> <i>Jungle of my 'drearies'</i> <i>Brown face does business.</i> <i>Dafalgan, what is this ?</i> <i>I totally forgot the lyrics,</i> <i>but I've got no regrets.</i> We're the most popular hip-hop collective. In Antwerp, even small neighbourhoods in Limburg, Ghent, Leuven, we're the most popular hip-hop band in Flanders. In the so-called ghettos is NoMoBS the most popular hip-hop collective around. It's back here. Because of her, I became the person I am now. She's always been there for me. The most important person, really. Because she always defended us. She did everything for us. She made sure we wanted for nothing and she put herself in second place. That's who she was, it was part of her character. We got that from her. So... I could tell you so many things about her, but it's an emotional topic. I only knew three months before the end that she had cancer. I think she knew it a lot longer, but that she wanted to protect us against the bad things that could happen. The last night... Of course, that's always the hardest one. But you don't realise that you ought to say goodbye. You only realise that when she's already gone, after she's had all the injections. In the end, she chose euthanasia because she couldn't bear the pain anymore. That night, all my brothers and sisters stayed in the hospital. Radja only arrived that morning, because he'd missed his plane. That made it extra hard on us, but I stayed strong the whole night. I didn't cry, all those months... Well, sometimes, because I didn't understand, I was too young. Then all of a sudden, when Radja came in, I started crying, and he did too. <i>This is my story, my struggle.</i> <i>Is it a pity or a blessing ?</i> <i>Everyone has a cross to bear.</i> <i>I'm bearing more than two.</i> <i>The streets and my team are my home.</i> <i>That's why I am here.</i> <i>Every square has its own story.</i> <i>I guarantee ours will be the very best.</i> <i>Thoughts tic toc, this is my favela.</i> <i>No samba, marihuana on the square.</i> <i>The times have changed,</i> <i>the squares have changed.</i> <i>I don't go with the flow,</i> <i>the ball is my anchor.</i> <i>In my sports gear outside I prove to my</i> <i>opponent that every square is different.</i> <i>Play with the ball on the square,</i> <i>in the street.</i> <i>Just let me be for a moment</i> <i>because I'm in my own world.</i> Actually, things have changed very drastically here. First of all... Everything is... - Renewed. And official, apparently. These were neighbourhoods where... There was always something to do. Playing football, hanging out... Lots of football. - Lots of football. Pranks. The squares were like a second home. You spent a lot of time there. The football fields... Back in the day, there weren't any goals. So we used the poles. - Pole to pole. Kick between two poles. You had to aim very carefully. Karim had a real problem with his aim. I taught him everything. He became one of the best indoor football players in Belgium. Of course, he owes everything to a Beerschot player's expertise. The Antwerp players can't do that. But on the square itself, it was a really mixed thing. More than now. You can see things aren't very mixed on the squares. Everything was thrown together. North Africans, Portuguese, Italians, Belgians, the French, you name it. The square brought us together. And there wasn't any PlayStation back then. No mobile phone, no Facebook, no Twitter, no computer. If you had any free time, you went to a square. You mainly learn to lose on the square. You learn to deal with disappointment. That's how you become a champion in the end, like Karim. I often humiliated him on one of the squares. But later on he became quite big, as you will have seen. 1.84 metres. - There you go. Amar... Clumsy, clumsy, clumsy. We are the better team. At one point, we had them running all over the place, but we don't finish the job. We don't, that's the difference. And then they score that lousy goal, a free kick. A wall never spreads his legs. Never. Feet together, that's a wall. If a ball veers off, it may pass. Unfortunate. But then that fifth foul, Amar. 2 - 2 in the final. What did we say 100 times ? Don't do it. Come on, in the second half, you'll fight your way back into the game and we'll muddle through. That's the difference. Before the match... Wednesday, I pointed it out. Those mistakes could be the death of us. We're creating loads of opportunities. We just have to score. Scoring, that's what it's all about. In the second half, we'll score, we'll take them. Amar, you're up first in the second half. Come on, the game's not lost yet. I'm Sabrine Fellouss from the Elisabethplein and I play football at Kras Antwerpen. If you think girls can't play football, just come and watch. We used to live over there and we just crossed the street, or we ran away from our parents to play here. We're at the Sint-Elisabethplein, the square where I played football for the first time. Sometimes in secret, because father didn't like us playing here, because there were a lot of drunks here. Sometimes it was a bit dangerous, because they used drugs. When mother went grocery shopping and we weren't allowed outside, we snuck outside to play. We knew more or less when she'd be back. We'd play for 10 or 15 minutes and then go back inside. We've learned lots of basic things on the square like passing the ball, kicking the ball in the goal. There was no goal, so between two poles. Mostly being very good in duels, shoulder pushes... Sometimes, we really had to fight to be allowed to play, because... The boys said: You're girls, and girls can't play football. But by playing aggressively, we were usually allowed to play. This square was the only place where I could really be a kid. At home too, but I mean among young people. So among boys and girls, and to be able to play. At home we had brothers and sisters, but that's not the same as with friends. I'm Mohamed Zemmouri, support co-ordinator of Kras Sport, a sports division of Kras Youth Work. This is my square, the square of De Kluis in Borgerhout. By now they call me the godfather of the squares, because I've been working on them for 20 years. Antwerp is my city. I never wanted to go back. When my parents went back in 1985, I stayed here as a young man with no job. It was clear to me then that this was my city, and hopefully till I die. A street football player does whatever he wants. He enters the square and thinks: I'll play from goal to goal, or I'll dribble a bit. Nobody is going to say: Don't do that. So he has complete freedom to develop his skills in his domain. That explains those boys' technical skills. But it's our job to motivate those youths to make the best of it and to make them understand that they're always welcome, whatever they do. We'll try and show you the right way. I think everyone in Antwerp has my mobile phone number. I always say: I'm a celebrity, but a poor celebrity, not a rich one. Even on a Sunday afternoon, when I'm strolling on the Meir with my wife, you hear people shout: Zemmouri, what time is practice tomorrow ? Young people know what they want and the squares are important. If they didn't exist, where would they... There are not enough sports halls to accommodate everyone. So the only alternative is the squares, because you don't have to reserve them. And on these squares, there is often a very positive dynamic. The guys have their own rules. Often, the squares are regarded as a place for scum, but that's not true. Bisthoven has played a major part in my football career. It was very important to me. It's a place where I've had lots of fun. I'm Moussa Dembélé. I'm from Bisthovenplein, I play for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. As you can see, things have changed quite a bit. Before, there were only... Now, there are goals. Before there were only two poles here, two basketball poles. The idea was to try and hit the poles, because there were no goals. You had no choice but to give it your all and make a move. It's nice to be back her after all these years. It must have been... at least a few years ago. The first time I came here, it really opened my eyes. Those boys are all very talented technically and that made me want to... to develop my technique further, just like them. I tried to copy some of the boys, like his brother for instance. And at home I would secretly practice the moves, so I could keep up with those boys the next time I came here. I think street football players have more confidence in their own skills. They're close friends with the ball, in love with it, mostly. You're constantly working with the ball, playing football. Nowadays, young people mostly play with their PlayStation, their computers. In our day it was mostly street football. We'd just... What's good about football is that if you want the ball, you have to work it. Every summer I would come here every day. I've got fond memories of that. At one point the lights had to go off, and they'd call the police. And we'd hide for a bit and just talked. When the police left, we'd play again. The police would come and so on. That was quite funny. It was cool. I had a good childhood. Especially the vibe here. We talked a lot. We often tried to get under someone's skin, like: We'll finish you off or whatever, that sort of thing. But the square was very sharp. It really was... It wasn't just friends hanging out. Everyone wanted to win. Afterwards, you could talk... It could bug you all day. That was though. You wanted to win no matter what. Some of the kids told me they would like the square to be named after him. To me, that's not essential. There really are many incredible players back then, who were really talented and who deserve it more than me to have this place named after them. But it's always nice if that's... To me personally, it's a nice gesture. Saïd is a mixture of different Saïds. The different Saïds are the various social roles I have to play: the eldest brother at home, my mate's best friend, a youth worker, now I'm off to a gig as a rapper. Those are all roles I have to play. And yet, that's Saïd. But who is Saïd ? In Antwerp Saïd is one of the greatest in a battle. Just because we are black, or Moroccan, or Muslim, doesn't mean we can't contribute to society. You have to be who you want to be. Develop the talents that you have. It's no longer taboo to be yourself, to write a column, to give your opinion. That's what we were told at home: Keep quiet, because this is their country. No, sorry, we live here too. It has to stop. Everything OK ? Everything alright ? Go get your pass. When you show that, you can go in. OK, but if I get it you will... - No, get your pass and you can go in. It's my responsibility. It's necessary. This is not just a bunch of artists, we're one big happy family. It doesn't seem like it, but it is. We look angry. Like this guy. Whether he likes it or not, he always looks angry. He's angry with society. All this is... It's just acting. This is an action film, it's not real. It's real. Real life. - It's not real. It's acting. Otherwise we wouldn't be here. A show, give off a show. This guy doesn't have papers. No papers. Favelas. Bullet holes. They're all bullet holes. All this is acting. <i>I heard you swagged out. Zehma</i> <i>you all about da finer things in life.</i> <i>I know your boss without a doubt.</i> <i>He got them tats, homie.</i> <i>He got them hos. Liberace on his neck</i> <i>complimentin' his clothes.</i> <i>Zehma bogus. Zehma khataar.</i> <i>Zehma poppin' bottles. Zehma ksaar.</i> <i>Zehma bogus. Zehma khataar.</i> <i>Zehma boss player. Zehma ki dbaar.</i> We're here to kick the ball: Morocco v. Turkey, with a Belgian captain. We came to play against the Turks for a coke. Want to play a match ? - Want to play a game for the TV ? Yes, sure. - Yes ? This is the future of Belgian football. This is where the talent is. Who is the best kicker of all ? - This is little Messi. Who's the best of all of you ? - He is, he is. No, I am. - Him ? No, me. No, me, me, me. The square remains part of your life, you spent so much time here. 10, 15, 20 years, sometimes even more. It remains part of your memories. You'll treasure it for life. In that sense, it feels as if you're part owner of the square. Matthias Schoenaerts, Turkish Park, Antwerp South. Shall we play a game ? OK. The four of you with Matthias. And the four of you with me. Come on, sharpen the knives. And if you lose, it's prison camp for you. Meanwhile, I'll score the first goal. There, 1 - 0. Who will win ? - We will. It's already 1 - 0, Karim. Matthias was good at football, lost of character. I think it has given him strength in the life he's been leading up to now, too. Who knows, if he had gone for football whole-heartedly, maybe he could have made it in football. Football is too much fun. Everything else disappears. I'm usually not this calm. I'm keeping my cool in front of the camera. I have to make a good impression... - Usually, he'd tackle anyone. Football is a great game. That's fantastic, because football gives these young people some perspective. I was never very ambitious about football. I loved it, but I never wanted to become a professional player. When I was on the verge of becoming a pro, I clammed up and stopped. Then I started playing football at the very lowest level. I was at the highest level, but switched to the lowest, with friends, pub teams. That's perfect for the film. Good shot, Karim. I, but especially my wife doesn't like my son to hang out at the squares, because, again... People tell her if her son is hanging out on the street too much, he'll probably end up going down the wrong path. The danger certainly exists, you can't ignore it. You can find bad company and chose a certain path, but I still think, and that's my honest opinion, that a child has to find its way. You can guide them in a certain direction, but in the end... Even if you overprotect them, it may still go wrong. So I think a kid should find its own way. Dare to tackle. These areas are always demonised or put in a bad light, portrayed as being dangerous or whatever. But in my experience, it was the opposite. Thanks, guys. Well done. Did you take something for yourself ? - I've already finished it. Oh, you've already finished. OK, son. Thanks, mate. - How's school ? Good ? Good grades ? Sure ? I'll ask your brother. I'm the smartest boy in class. - The smartest ? Excellent. That's important too. Football is happiness. If you study well in school, you'll get a good diploma. Who's cheering for Karim, and for me ? - I don't know who's who. Who's who, you think ? I didn't feel like studying at all. My parents didn't keep an eye on me, due to circumstances. And they didn't know the system. I quickly tired of school. Then I switched to vocational school, clerical training and sales, purely because I still had to go to school. But I regretted it afterwards. My one lucky break was that football ball, so I had something to hold on to. If you kick it through my legs, you'll end up in casualty, mate. I was also quickly tired of school, but I did finish. School is important, but I didn't really enjoy it that much. I was expelled a number of times. I never quite understood why, but anyway school is important, but I don't have fond memories of it. I can't... Like in the old days, I can't win. You earned it. - I'm sweaty. Nice shot. Use your brains. Come on. You didn't have the nerve today. You didn't have the nerve. I can show you the footage. You didn't have he nerve. The day of the accident was a Friday night. I had a game. We'd made plans to hang out after the game. When I got home, I found the keys to my sister's car. So I took them. We drove around the whole evening. None of us had a driver's licence. Only at the very end, it all went wrong when I dropped off my mates here. I came here... I drove way too fast, but it was also raining. I took the turn far too wide and I ended up at the central reservation. Because the road was slippery, I ended up on the other lane, where I hit a jeep head-on. I had difficulty breathing, but I got out of the car. I thought my nose was bleeding. Then I just waked home. Then I saw it was more serious than that. I still have a scar. I had to go to hospital urgently. So I called Ahmed Sababti. He's always been like a big brother to me. He stayed with me all night, until morning. After my accident, a lot has changed. I started to think more like an adult. I got into a lot of trouble afterwards. I had to go to court. None of it was fun. I haven't changed because of the police or the court date. I changed because I'd hurt my parents enormously. In 1982, my dad came here from Morocco, together with my mother, so they could offer us a better future in terms of education and to build a better future. Isn't that right ? But this is not like Morocco, is it ? There's a big difference. It's different. There's nothing over there. When my parents got divorced, I was about eleven or twelve. Divorce is no fun for anyone. And in certain cases, it can have serious consequences, but, for me, I had a distraction, just like my brothers and sisters. Sport was my distraction, specifically football. My brothers did other sports. We didn't really notice my parents were divorcing or were divorced, because my father was always nearby and mother never neglected her duties, in spite of the problems. It has only made her better and she's always performed perfectly, like a true deep-lying forward. I had a hard time in school. I wasn't interested in what was happening there. I had a good time and the only thing I liked doing was play football. On the square, so come home from school, toss my bag, put on my shoes, get my ball, and I was off to the square. Playing football 'till late, 'till dad came to get us. My parents knew what was happening on Bisthovenplein, because they often talked to the other parents, either in the mosque, at the Friday market, or in the store. But when we were off to play, mum and dad always impressed upon us: Boys, don't come home complaining or anything. Go and play, have fun, but stick to playing. It's important to us that we look like women. We are women, even though we play football and football is a man's sport, we haven't turned into men or anything. We're still women. I'm the eldest, she's younger than I am. People expect the eldest to wear a headscarf, but I believe it's something inside you, that you chose yourself. No matter if you're the eldest or the youngest. You have to be ready for it, and she was ready. How long have you been wearing one ? - It'll be six years this May. I started wearing a headscarf when I was twelve, but I did it of my own accord. It's a choice you have to make. No one else can interfere. Not your parents, no one. It really is your own choice. - You have to be ready for it. Most importantly, you have to be ready for it. That's my opinion. Religion means everything to us, basically. To be honest, I couldn't imagine my life without Islam. If I didn't have that, I think my life would really derail, because I grew up with it. My life is connected to my religion. I hope, Insha'Allah, that I'll wear a headscarf one day. That's one of my dreams that I want to fulfil. It's a lovely step towards the future. The first year, we played in Hamme. And my sister wears a headscarf. And they looked at us like were shit, is the only way to put it. When we came in, they looked at us funny right away. 'Take off that rag. What is that thing ? Monkeys.' The second year, we played a lot better and we won a lot. Then the racism died down quite a bit. The best thing to do is just ignore it and hope that people will realise someday that they were wrong. It's always the small gangs who ruin it for the others, who do behave. The sad thing is that some people will take one image and demonise a whole ethnic group and that's too bad, because it's not true. We can go there, to H&M. - Not this one, the other one is better. On the square different cultures came together. Moroccans, Africans, Belgians... - Turks. Everyone from the area was there and we just played football. Girl, boy, colour, brown, black, white, it didn't matter. It was different cultures together, that just played with each other. Racism and things like that didn't exist there. It was just playing games, and that was it. Racism and discrimination have always been around. It happened back then as well. There was Den Ossepoot, the market on Friday. People used to go by, who had been drinking and called us names, but in the end... Monkeys. That was the popular insult back then that everybody used. 'Go back to your own country.' It was in that same period that the Vlaams Blok was coming up. Back then, I have to say, 20 years ago, when we were a bit younger and more naïve, and you heard slogans like 'all foreigners go home' and so on, we really believed them, that if the Vlaams Blok ever came to power, we might have to go back, go back where we came from. Yes, it made quite an impression. We thought it might come true, that we'd have to go back. But in the end, after all these years, I think we all realise we're not going back. We're here and we have to make sure we can live together. We speak the Antwerp dialect and Dutch. We were born here. So we were like: Get off it, I'm not going back there. If you're not happy, you move. But we're belong to this city, and we live here and we're staying. Actually, and I've had to learn this myself, when people say stupid things, it's best not to react. How are you ? Everything OK ? - Hey. We're not playing, are we ? - No, we can't today. All right ? - Everything OK, son ? I wondered if you'd recognise me. - Long time. It's been a very long time. - He's still the same, right ? Still the same van ? - Shit, I didn't bring it with me. I want to be able to say I did everything in my power for my career, and I got where I am because of me. Not because of my coach, someone else, or the board, the league. I did it. I'm Radja Nainggolan. I used to play in the Bloementuin at Linkeroever and I'm a professional footballer at AS Roma. We used to come here often to play with a bunch of friends. Especially during holidays. - After school. We even came down here at midnight. Have a little fun, and then home. Right after we got home, we left again to come and kick the ball here. You've seen all those apartment buildings yourself. Everyone lives close together and knows everyone. It was fun. There were lots of people. I have a particularly hard time when I come down to Linkeroever. Many memories of my departed mother. That's quite... Shocking. - That's what I think about most. But I'm here now. Nothing has changed, it all stayed the same. What can I say ? It's nice to be able to say that we were standing here long ago, and now I'm at a very high level, let's say. Oh, my god, I was still wearing my Leonardo DiCaprio T-shirt. And this one, on the left ? - Murat. He's a goalkeeper now, in Holland. He was good, wasn't he ? - He was crazy. But he's a nice guy. - That's Sababti. There were some good players around. - We always manage to play our game. But we were much better. Maybe I was always the toughest, but to be safe, I sometimes told her not to join, because I was afraid that she... - Yes, of course. Because I was afraid she might get injured or get hurt. In the end, she's just a girl. Sometimes, it was more about prestige than for the fun of it. Those were games I thought she'd better not play. You can see for yourself, those walls... - They'd throw you over the fence. For a girl, it could be quite tough. If you have nothing and you want it all, you'll do it all to have a little. I think, we never... Not to say we never had anything, but we had a difficult past... You can't compare it to now, Radja. We just never had anything. Our dad left, my mother had some problems and stuff. Financially, it was really tough. To earn the bare minimum, you'd do anything. I think that's mainly why you do it. To achieve a lot in life, you have to work hard. If you start with nothing and you want everything, you have to do everything you can and keep going to get more. That's basically what I'm focusing on. <i>Little brother, big worries.</i> <i>No one takes care of little brother.</i> <i>It's all or nothing.</i> <i>The shadow lurks around the corner.</i> <i>Little brother, big worries.</i> <i>No one takes care of little brother.</i> <i>He has to take care</i> <i>of everything himself.</i> <i>Nobody else will.</i> <i>Little brother, big worries.</i> <i>No one takes care of little brother.</i> <i>It's all or nothing.</i> <i>The shadow lurks around the corner.</i> Is this your little brother ? Give him a kiss first. Kiss, kiss. Give him a kiss. Many people congratulated me. Many people sent me messages. The phone was ringing off the hook. But best of all is when your parents congratulate you. 'Well done.' That makes you proud. It motivates you to go on. Not that I want 20 kids or something. But knowing that you're on the right track. On and off the court. At first, we chose Noah as a name. But if you say it in Arabic, it's pronounced noh. And that would have been confusing for a boy. So we put three names in a cup. We threw them on the bed and Isra picked Ismaïl. Then we repeated the whole thing and she picked Ismaïl again. It's a lovely name. Many people think so. And it's an important name. He's a Muslim prophet. It was nice that she picked the name Ismaïl twice. It's destiny, we say. It is your pride and joy. Your family, that's you. I try to give them everything, especially love and time. I don't really care if it's a boy or a girl. But it was nice our second child was a boy, since I already have a daughter. You secretly hope he'll be a football player too. But it's more important that he enjoys life and that he's got some support. I had loads of fun at the squares when I was young. Those memories are priceless. All day long I'd only think about football. The ball, the ball... So carefree. Just the fun of it, the fun of the game. Fantastic. Every brick hides a memory for me. From the goal posts to the lines to the fences. I think this whole square is a reflection of my life. These squares are part of young people's lives. They should be involved in everything having to do with these squares. My friends from the square back then are still there for me if I need them. Natives and foreigners together, that's the most beautiful thing to see. You're guaranteed to have fun. Anytime. <i>This is my story, my struggle.</i> <i>Is it a pity or a blessing ?</i> <i>Everyone has a cross to bear.</i> <i>I'm bearing more than two.</i> <i>The streets and my team are my home.</i> <i>That's why I am here.</i> <i>Every square has its own story.</i> <i>I guarantee ours will be the very best.</i> <i>Thoughts tic toc, this is my favela.</i> <i>No samba, marihuana on the square.</i> <i>The times have changed,</i> <i>the squares have changed.</i> <i>I don't go with the flow,</i> <i>the ball is my anchor.</i> <i>In my sports gear outside I prove to my</i> <i>opponent that every square is different.</i> <i>Play with the ball on the square,</i> <i>in the street.</i> <i>Just let me be for a moment</i> <i>because I'm in my own world.</i>