Boëtius: “Everyone had mapped out a great career for me”

Jean-Paul Boëtius has had a tough period. After being diagnosed with testicular cancer in September last year, he is now healthy again and making minutes at Hertha BSC. In an interview with the Hero magazine the midfielder looks back on his periods at Feyenoord.

“I played with Justin Bijlow, Orkun Kökcü and Lutsharel Geertruida at Feyenoord”, Boëtius begins about the current season. “They can do what I failed to do in those few years. A real chapeau for those guys. I hope they continue to follow their hearts in all the choices they make. Then they can never regret.”

Debut
After briefly talking about the current season, he goes back in time. It was October 28, 2012 when Boëtius made his unforgettable debut for Feyenoord. He scored the 1-1 against Ajax in De Kuip and can still remember it like it was yesterday. One week before, he was still with Jong Feyenoord, where he made an impression when Ronald Koeman, Jean-Paul van Gastel and Giovanni van Bronckhorst stood along the line. The training for The Classic suddenly became clear.

“The trainer started handing out vests. Jordi Clasie, Stefan de Vrij, Bruno Martins Indi and Joris Mathijsen received a vest. There was one left, then I got it. When the training was over, I had to come to the office. Koeman showed a list of names, I saw Sneijder, Van der Vaart and Emanuelson and I saw a pen. Koeman said: “Do you know what these are?” I replied: a list of super names, of course. He said: ‘Just write your name on that dotted line, because you’re going to play against Ajax tomorrow.’ Everyone had mapped out a great career for me, but it didn’t happen.”

The church
Faith always played a very important role in Boetius’ life. The way he practiced his faith had a major impact on his time at Feyenoord. “Recently I told Lies (his girlfriend, Ed.) that I was not able to enjoy the short peak in my career at Feyenoord. Outside of training and matches, I was mainly in church to do bible study and things like that. my parents there was only one way: the real way. I would like to add that I also found peace in faith, but I was mostly tired, dead tired. After training, I immediately went to church and stayed there for hours. “

Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal
For a long time Boëtius was known as a great talent and that also aroused the interest of many top clubs. “In the summer of 2014 I actually only had to give my yes to Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus were also interested. Feyenoord wanted to extend my contract in the meantime. At that stage I changed agents. I was with Winnie Haatrecht, he said to me: ‘Jean-Paul, I think another year at Feyenoord is good for you.’ I wanted to leave, but I wasn’t so bold as to say so openly. So I thought: I’m changing agents.”

However, his new agent, Stellar Group, also advised him to stay with Feyenoord. The negotiations between Feyenoord and Tottenham stopped and then Boëtius became exhausted and he suffered a lot mentally from the battle with his parents.

Return
In 2017, Boëtius returned to his love Feyenoord, but this did not go as expected for everyone. While things went well in the first season of his return, he ended up on the bench against Fenerbahçe in preparation for the new season. When he had to do fitness training afterwards, he didn’t agree. “I couldn’t afford it for a while. So the consequences came, a fine and a week away from the first team.” In the week’s absence, he missed an information session from the KNVB, which cost him dearly in the next match with a second yellow card for cynical gestures.

This action was resolved with a maximum fine after a meeting with technical director Martin van Geel and trainer Van Bronckhorst. Yet it felt too easy for the trainer to let Boëtius get off alone with a fine. “Precisely at that moment, FSV Mainz showed interest. Mainz did not want to wait, was completely hot from me and went to Feyenoord with a bag of money.”

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