Ismaïl Aissati

2.1. Youth Football Career

Ismaïl Aissati was born on August 16, 1988, in Utrecht, Netherlands, to Moroccan parents. His football journey began at a young age, starting with local youth clubs such as DSO Utrecht and USV Elinkwijk. He played for USV Elinkwijk from 1995 to 2000. In 2000, at the age of twelve, Aissati was scouted and subsequently joined the highly regarded youth academy of PSV Eindhoven. During his time in the PSV youth system, he initially traveled one hour daily from Utrecht to Eindhoven, a commute he later managed by train from the age of fifteen. By the age of sixteen, Aissati had already garnered significant attention, with reports linking him to a potential move to Spanish giants FC Barcelona. However, he ultimately decided to reject Barcelona's approach and remained with PSV Eindhoven, turning professional with the club in 2005.

2.2. PSV Eindhoven

Aissati turned professional with PSV Eindhoven in 2005. His professional debut in the Eredivisie occurred on August 28, 2005, in a match against Roda JC, which PSV won. On October 19, 2005, Aissati made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League for PSV Eindhoven. By doing so, he became the youngest Dutch player ever to participate in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing Ryan Babel's record. In this debut, he came off the bench in the 63rd minute against A.C. Milan. On November 1, 2005, he played the entire return match against A.C. Milan, notably facing off against Andrea Pirlo.

In January 2006, Aissati signed his first professional contract with PSV, which was set to keep him at the club until 2009. His first professional goal for PSV came on February 4, 2006, in a 3-2 victory over Roda JC, the same club he had debuted against. He scored his second goal for the club on March 25, 2006, against Willem II. In his inaugural season, Aissati made 17 league appearances and scored two goals.

During the 2006-07 season, Aissati's playing time diminished due to injuries, limiting him to only 10 appearances. He scored his sole goal of that season on October 15, 2006, in a 4-1 win over Roda JC. His limited opportunities led to a loan spell.

Aissati returned to PSV for the 2007-08 season. Although he played regularly, he was not a consistent starter. The season saw multiple managerial changes at PSV, and the third manager, Sef Vergoossen, reportedly treated Aissati harshly, a situation criticized by PSV goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who felt Aissati lacked the necessary trust from the coach. Despite missing half of the season, Aissati made sixteen appearances for the club but did not score any goals.

In May 2008, Aissati's agent stated that a new contract had been signed, extending his stay beyond the 2008-09 season. However, this agreement ultimately fell through. Despite earlier declarations from Aissati in December 2007 expressing his happiness with a contract extension until 2011, the pre-season for 2008-09 saw a break in his relationship with PSV. By mid-July, PSV and AFC Ajax reached an agreement for his transfer.

3.1. FC Twente (loan)

To secure more playing time, Ismaïl Aissati was loaned out to Eredivisie rivals FC Twente on January 16, 2007, for the remainder of the 2006-07 season. He made his Eredivisie debut for FC Twente on January 20, 2007, against RKC Waalwijk. Just eight days later, Aissati scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 victory over ADO Den Haag. His performances at Twente were well-received by critics, and he was widely considered one of the most promising talents in Dutch football, attracting interest from various clubs.

3.2. AFC Ajax

On July 19, 2008, Ismaïl Aissati formally signed with AFC Ajax after successfully passing his medical examination. The transfer fee was approximately 4.00 M EUR. This move was significant as Aissati became only the fourth player in history to transfer directly from PSV Eindhoven to Ajax, following in the footsteps of Gert Bals, Peter Hoekstra, and Kenneth Perez. Upon his arrival, Aissati was assigned the number 11 shirt.

Aissati's initial period at Ajax was hampered by injuries. He was on the bench for a match against Willem II on August 30, 2008, but remained an unused substitute as Ajax lost 2-1. On September 24, 2008, he underwent knee surgery and was initially expected to be out for five to six weeks. This injury had followed a prior knee issue suffered a week earlier during a reserve match. The rehabilitation process, however, took longer than anticipated, and Aissati did not play an official match for Ajax in 2008. He began training again in December 2008 and participated in a few reserve games, taking a cautious approach to his recovery.

He made his comeback in a reserve match against N.E.C. on February 16, 2009. Finally, on February 22, 2009, after months of rehabilitation, Aissati made his long-awaited debut for Ajax, coming on as a substitute for Robbert Schilder in the 60th minute of a 2-1 draw against FC Volendam. In his first season, Aissati contributed with assists and scored his first goal for Ajax on April 5, 2009, in a 2-1 victory over Roda JC. He concluded his debut season with nine appearances and one goal.

The 2009-10 season saw Aissati initially playing regularly under manager Martin Jol. However, after a cup match against N.E.C., Jol publicly stated that Aissati was not physically strong enough, leading to him and Miralem Sulejmani being made to run stadium stairs in front of the media. Aissati subsequently missed the majority of the season due to further injuries. Although he was still an Ajax player, he was informed that he could leave the club. By May 4, 2010, Aissati openly expressed his dissatisfaction with his role at Ajax and his desire to depart in order to play weekly. He made 14 league appearances that season, scoring three goals against Heracles Almelo on August 30, 2009, Heerenveen on November 22, 2009, and Vitesse on November 29, 2009.

For the 2010-11 season, Aissati played only two matches for Ajax, against Groningen and Vitesse, before being loaned out to Vitesse.

Upon the conclusion of his loan spell, Vitesse decided not to make the deal permanent, and Aissati returned to Ajax. Manager Frank de Boer was reportedly keen to integrate him into the first team following his impressive performances at Vitesse. Aissati himself had expressed his intention to return to his parent club for the new season. However, Aissati spent the first three months of the 2011-12 season playing for Jong Ajax (the reserve team) before being recalled to the first team on November 24, 2011. His first appearance of the 2011-12 season came on November 27, 2011, as a substitute for Lorenzo Ebecilio in the 65th minute of a 3-0 away victory against N.E.C. On March 25, 2012, Aissati scored his first goal of the season with a spectacular curling effort from the corner in a crucial 2-0 win against his former club, PSV. After a brief sideline due to the flu, Aissati scored again on his return on April 11, 2012, in a 5-0 win over Heerenveen. He finished the 2011-12 season with sixteen appearances and two goals.

As his contract was set to expire in the summer of 2012, Aissati initially expressed a desire to move to Spain but affirmed his full commitment to Ajax until the end of the season. After the season concluded, he conveyed interest in remaining with the Amsterdam club. Ajax offered him a three-year contract extension. However, negotiations with his agent, Sigi Lens, broke down as Lens rejected the offer and demanded a higher salary. Ajax refused to make a revised offer, and consequently, Aissati was released from the club.

3.3. Antalyaspor

After his release from AFC Ajax, Aissati returned to Vitesse on trial on July 2, 2012. He initially re-signed with Vitesse on a multi-year contract on July 16, 2012, taking up the number 7 shirt. Despite this, he was not eligible to play in the 2012-13 UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round match against Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv. Ultimately, Aissati and Vitesse could not agree on salary terms, and he did not finalize his move to the club.

Instead, Aissati signed with Turkish Süper Lig side Antalyaspor. He made his debut for Antalyaspor on August 27, 2012, coming on as a substitute for Emrah Başsan in the 81st minute of a 3-0 home win against Kayserispor. A month later, on September 26, 2012, Aissati scored his first goal for Antalyaspor from a penalty spot and provided two assists in a 5-3 victory over Menemen Belediyespor in the Turkish Cup. His first league goal for the club came on October 20, 2012, in a 4-2 win against Sivasspor. Weeks later, on November 10, 2012, he scored his second league goal in a 1-1 draw against Kasımpaşa. Aissati added his third league goal on November 24, 2012, in a 1-1 draw against Bursaspor. He also scored one more goal in the Turkish Cup against Mersin İdmanyurdu on December 20, 2012. In his first season at Antalyaspor, Aissati made thirty-eight appearances across all competitions, scoring five goals.

Aissati made two additional appearances in the 2013-14 season before departing Turkey. During the summer transfer window, he attracted interest from clubs in the Russian Premier League.

3.4. FC Terek Grozny

On September 2, 2013, Ismaïl Aissati signed a three-year contract with Russian club FC Terek Grozny. The transfer fee paid to Antalyaspor was reported to be 3.00 M EUR.

Two weeks later, on September 14, 2013, Aissati made his debut for Terek Grozny, starting in attacking midfield in a 2-0 away loss against Zenit Saint Petersburg. A week after that, on September 25, 2013, Aissati provided an assist for Maurício in a 3-1 loss to Kuban Krasnodar. During his first season, Aissati spent most of his time on the substitute bench, making fifteen appearances in all competitions. He initially found it challenging to adapt to life in Grozny for the first six months but eventually settled in the country, even learning a new language.

In the 2014-15 season, Aissati maintained a presence in the first team at Terek Grozny. He scored his first goal for the club in the second round of the Russian Cup on September 24, 2014, in a 2-1 loss against Gazovik Orenburg. His strong performances in October led to his nomination for Terek Grozny's Player of the Month, though he ultimately lost out to his teammate, Oleg Ivanov. Nevertheless, Aissati continued to feature prominently, making twenty-five appearances across all competitions that season.

Aissati started the 2015-16 season positively, assisting Igor Lebedenko in a 1-1 draw against Rostov on July 18, 2015. A month later, on August 28, 2015, he scored his first league goal for Terek Grozny in a 3-3 draw against Ural. Throughout the 2015-16 season, Aissati remained a key player, making thirty-one appearances in all competitions.

Despite rumors of a return to Turkey, Terek Grozny's management had expressed interest in extending Aissati's contract. However, on June 14, 2016, it was announced that Aissati had been released by the club.

3.5. Later Career

In the summer of 2016, Ismaïl Aissati returned to Turkey, joining Alanyaspor. He played for Alanyaspor during the 2016-17 season, making 12 league appearances. The following season, in January 2018, he moved to Balıkesirspor in the TFF First League, where he played 13 matches.

Later in January 2018, Aissati signed with Denizlispor, also in the TFF First League. He played 13 matches for Denizlispor in the latter half of the 2017-18 season. In the 2018-19 season, he had a significant role, appearing in 33 league matches and scoring 3 goals, contributing to Denizlispor's success in the TFF First League. He continued with Denizlispor in the Süper Lig for the 2019-20 season, making 33 appearances, and for part of the 2020-21 season, with 13 appearances.

In January 2021, Aissati transferred to Adana Demirspor. However, his contract there was terminated by mutual consent in March 2021, and he subsequently returned to the Netherlands. Later, in the 2021-22 season, he had another spell with Denizlispor, playing 22 league matches and 1 cup match. He continued with Denizlispor until 2023.

4.1. Netherlands Youth Squads

Aissati represented the Netherlands U15, Netherlands U16, and Netherlands U17 squads. He was a key member of the Netherlands U21 that won the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. During this tournament, Aissati, at 17 years old, was selected for the tournament's all-star squad, often playing against opponents three or four years his senior.

In 2007, he was again part of the Dutch U21 team that successfully defended their title in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held in the Netherlands. Aissati played in the opening match, a 1-0 victory against Israel U21, but was substituted in the first half by Otman Bakkal due to an injury. Following their 2-1 victory over Portugal, the Dutch secured a semi-final spot and qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics. They reached the finals after a thrilling semi-final against England, which ended in a 1-1 draw and a remarkable 13-12 penalty shootout after 32 kicks. The Dutch team went on to retain their 2006 title by defeating Serbia 4-1 in the final.

4.2. Morocco National Football Team

On October 20, 2007, a Moroccan website erroneously reported that Ismaïl Aissati had chosen to represent the Morocco national team internationally instead of the Netherlands, and that coach Henri Michel would include him in the squad to face France in a friendly match. Although this statement proved false, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation later confirmed on December 30, 2008, that Aissati would indeed represent Morocco. However, Aissati himself denied this at the time.

It was anticipated that Aissati would make his debut on February 11, 2009, against the Czech Republic in Casablanca, but he was ultimately ruled out due to injury. He finally made his senior national team debut for Morocco on August 10, 2011, in a 2-0 away victory against Senegal in Dakar, coming on as a substitute for Oussama Assaidi. He made a total of two appearances for the Morocco national team.