Anis Hadj Moussa Returns to Feyenoord for Champions League Clash
Anis Hadj Moussa is back in the Feyenoord fold, the transfer storm parked just in time for a Champions League night at Camp Nou.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst confirmed in Spain that the Algerian winger has been restored to the squad and will travel for Wednesday’s clash with Barcelona, drawing a line under days of uncertainty and frustration around his future.
From late arrivals to a late reprieve
Hadj Moussa sat out Saturday’s league win over NEC after twice turning up late, with Van Bronckhorst bluntly admitting at the weekend that the player’s head was “not in the game.” The distraction was clear: a multi-million euro move to Saudi side Al-Ittihad had been on the table, only to collapse when the club failed to provide the required bank guarantee.
The fallout left Feyenoord with a key attacker in limbo and a dressing room watching closely. That changed on Tuesday.
At training in Spain, the 24-year-old took the initiative. He gathered his team-mates and spoke to them directly on the pitch, accepting responsibility for his behaviour and addressing the group face to face. It was serious, Van Bronckhorst said, but not without lighter moments as the squad reacted.
“It was a good way to put this behind us,” the coach explained, making it clear that while the winger’s choices around matchday had been unacceptable, his reaction once the transfer window shut hit the right note.
Page turned, spotlight on Camp Nou
The message from the manager was firm: the issue has been dealt with internally, the squad and staff have moved on together, and Hadj Moussa is again seen as an important weapon – the kind of player who can decide big games.
“When the deal fell through, he turned the page,” Van Bronckhorst said. “There is no better match for him to let his feet do the talking.”
Hadj Moussa has resumed full training and is in line to feature against Barcelona on Wednesday evening, a stage as big as any to reset his season and his standing with supporters.
Feyenoord’s travelling party also includes 17-year-old Jerayno Schaken, who steps into a Champions League squad for the first time. Reiss Nelson, by contrast, misses out through injury, trimming Van Bronckhorst’s attacking options and making Hadj Moussa’s availability even more significant.
The Rotterdam side arrive in Spain buoyed by their domestic victory over NEC and determined to carry that momentum into the opening match of the Champions League group phase. After a week dominated by off-field noise, Van Bronckhorst wants the narrative to shift back where it belongs.
Now it is about Barcelona, about Camp Nou, and about whether Feyenoord – with a chastened Hadj Moussa back in the ranks – can let their football speak louder than any transfer saga.
