Xavi Hernandez, the manager of his parent club Barcelona, has praised the 21-year-old for his contributions to Pamplona's journey to the Copa del Rey final.
Coach Jagoba Arrasate pleaded with Osasuna's sports director Braulio Vazquez to do everything in his power to bring this budding prodigy to El Sadar as it became apparent toward the close of the 2022 summer transfer window that Barcelona would loan out their gifted teenage winger Abde Ezzalzouli. He was successful, too. Abde was signed on a season-long loan on the last day of the transfer window, exceeding Osasuna's high expectations for the Moroccan player immediately.
Abde has been a crucial player for Osasuna on their run to their second-ever Copa del Rey final. His extra-time goal helped Los Rojillos defeat Sevilla in the quarterfinals, and the 21-year-old again got the El Sadar crowd cheering when he scored the lone goal in the 1-0 semifinal triumph over Athletic Club in the first leg. Following Osasuna's completion of the task in Bilbao, Abde then produced an outstanding brace in La Liga Matchday 28 to lead his team to a comeback victory over Elche by a score of 2-1.
The winger had played in Los Franjiverdes' academy when he was younger when his family relocated to Elche's Carrus neighborhood from Morocco when he was seven, thus the victory over Elche was especially meaningful to him. Following a move, Abde joined Hercules, where Barcelona director Ramon Planes noticed his special talents.
Abde was selected by Barca for the B team of the Catalan club in 2021 after scouts from the club sent to witness many of his games with Hercules. Because the Moroccan had grown up playing on the streets, had a vintage dribbling style, and had also attended some top academies, there was particular enthusiasm about his potential. He also knew how to blend in with a team.
Xavi Hernandez gave the winger 10 more senior team appearances last season, including a match at Osasuna where he scored his first senior goal, unaware at the time that he'd be scoring several more goals at El Sadar just a few months later. After arriving at Barcelona, Abde quickly impressed B team coach Sergi Barjuan and was then given his first-team debut when Barjuan took interim charge of the team before Xavi Hernandez's appointment.
Abde seamlessly adapted once his loan to Osasuna was over in the summer of 2022. In order to fully experience Pamplona, he located an apartment close to Plaza del Castillo in the city center. He also shown a welcoming and humble demeanor at training, which was aided by the decision of the dressing room leader Chimy Avila to take Abde under his wing.
Abde impressed the crowd in his debut against Rayo Vallecano, where he outran five defenders and set up Ruben Garcia for the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory. Abde has produced an average of 3.33 successful take-ons per LaLiga Santander game this season, so that was just a small sample of his dribbling prowess.
Abde was even given a spot in Morocco's World Cup roster as a result of his dribbles, assists, and goals in La Liga Santander; the teenager participated in three games as the African team advanced to the semi-finals.
The winger has had a genuinely remarkable 2022–23 season, which Barca coach Xavi has been following with interest. In a recent press conference, the Catalan stated: "Abde is making the most of this loan. I believe he is having an impact there. It's crucial to note that they are overjoyed to have him in Pamplona. He's playing extremely well and acting professionally. When he returns, as we hope he will, we will assess him, see how he is, and then determine what to do with him. He could, however, be a significant figure in the future. He's making the most of this loan period, which I believe he needs, so that makes me glad.
Abde's future is highly uncertain, as Xavi made plain. He will try to increase his 10 first-team appearances during his contract with the Catalan club, which runs through 2026. But for the time being, Abde is focused on Osasuna and aiming to help the team win the first significant prize in its history when they play Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final in May.
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