Arne Slot was reminded simply why he tried to signal Sam Beukema for Feyenoord three years in the past, when the pair met in a Champions League fixture this season.
Each had been in Dutch soccer in 2021 and had a gathering that Beukema vividly remembers as he weighed up his subsequent transfer from Go Forward Eagles.
It was not simply Slot’s presentation, given at his household residence, that caught with Beukema. The centre-back was additionally accompanied by his uncle, Bas, who occurred to be an enormous Feyenoord fan and made his emotions clear on the place he wished his nephew to play.
“My uncle was much more excited than me!” remembers Beukema. “It was a extremely good dialog and he confirmed me issues that I hadn’t considered earlier than.
“You might see he approached soccer in another way to different managers and I had a extremely good feeling – and so did my uncle. He advised me to go there however I stated, ‘let’s wait’.”
Beukema (left) selected AZ Alkmaar as a substitute of Feyenoord – Getty Photographs/Angelo Blankespoor
Beukema, now 26, selected AZ as a substitute, as they had been a extra steady outfit on the time. There aren’t any regrets, because the Netherlands centre-back went on to Bologna to be a part of Italian soccer’s shock bundle, who performed attacking soccer in contrast to conventional Serie A groups.
They play within the Coppa Italia closing on Wednesday in opposition to AC Milan, and victory would spark city-centre celebrations to prime final 12 months’s Champions League qualification.
And in 2021, no person knew Slot would flip Feyenoord into champions after which in his first season at Liverpool.
“I went to AZ not due to Arne Slot however on the time I didn’t know the way Feyenoord would do and AZ was extra steady and was a extra protected selection,” Beukema says. “Generally you suppose ‘what if?’ however who can inform if issues would have been completely different? I used to be pleased with the alternatives I made.
“He texted me and wished me good luck and stated sadly you didn’t select us, however I want you the perfect for the long run. We performed Liverpool this season and I spoke with him, he requested how I used to be and stated, ‘Now at this degree, we’re right here’. He stated, ‘You performed a superb sport and shocked us, we didn’t count on you to be so aggressive and accomplish that effectively with the ball’. I feel he anticipated a better sport, however gave us a extremely large praise.”
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Bologna have been receiving compliments from all quarters over the previous couple of years, with Thiago Motta the supervisor after they began this mission to rejuvenate the squad with youthful gamers.
Motta moved to Juventus and Vincenzo Italiano has carried on the identical fashion, placing Bologna close by of one other Champions League qualification and the possibility of a primary trophy on the membership since 1974.
Beukema (proper) has performed a key function in Bologna’s transformation – Reuters/Jennifer Lorenzini
“We had plenty of possession in plenty of our video games. As a centre-back, we had been in midfield, and performed completely different to every other groups in Serie A. [Riccardo] Calafiori, was within the entrance line so much,” says Beukema.
“I used to be saying, ‘Cala, keep again, you’re a defender’, however Motta gave us that freedom to go ahead and I did it, too. This 12 months below Mr Italiano, we nonetheless have the dynamic method of taking part in, however it is a little more direct and the distinction is that we play one-v-one throughout the pitch. It’s intense and you must be match. However we don’t change for anybody.”
Calafiori was a high-profile departure final summer time to Arsenal, together with Joshua Zirkzee to Manchester United.
Beukema himself has been linked with Liverpool, given Slot’s admiration and being out there for a centre-back. The participant is blissful at Bologna and, whereas he’s a fan of the Premier League, there has additionally been curiosity in him from Italian golf equipment.
“I’ve been following the Premier League since I used to be a younger child and I really like the competitors,” he says. “For me it’s possibly the perfect league to play in. I’m taking part in in a extremely large league, however the Premier League is one thing completely different with all the massive groups, the excessive degree. You see the environment additionally and it’s superb.
“Let’s see. I all the time wish to problem myself. I problem myself so much at Bologna, however I don’t know what is going to occur sooner or later. You may really feel one thing particular is coming right here. We’ve got these two aims and wish to obtain them each. We wish to make historical past with the ultimate. Will probably be actually large for this membership.”