The Influence of Noah Sadiki’s Father: A Story of Struggle and Success

“This swimsuit is for my bathroom, it’s my tea towel!” These words were spoken by Francis Sadiki on the evening of the Union’s defeat in Genk on April 1. Chambered by Anderlecht supporters on a live broadcast via his social networks, Noah’s dad gets angry by calling Sporting fans “idiots” and “imbeciles”. Then, he shows an old RSCA jersey to explain to what extent its value has become relative, releasing his famous phrase. A flocked swimsuit… Sadiki.

The sequence is making the rounds on the web. Some people laugh about it, others are saddened by it. Noah Sadiki, transferred to the Union last summer for 1.4 million after having followed his entire training at the RSCA, was obliged to intervene the next day. He published a message of appeasement on Instagram: “Despite our separation, I remain deeply grateful to Sporting Anderlecht, for what the club gave me and taught me during my training. My father remains and always will be my father. However, I would like to emphasize that I totally and categorically refute any link between me and the comments he made. These comments are his own and I do not share them.”

Neerpede happy to be rid of the “phenomenon”

If he has no longer slipped, Francis Sadiki has not given up his squabble either. After the loss of the Union against the Circle last weekend, he wrote on Facebook that “it is better to lose with respect and dignity than to win with dishonesty and injustice.” Reference to the red card caused by Thorgan Hazard against Antwerp, which had already provoked some sarcasm from him. Enough to add a little fuel to the fire before the hot derby at Lotto Park this Sunday.

If in Saint-Gilles, we learn to manage the behavior of Noah’s dad, we rather smile at Neerpede, happy to be rid of the “phenomenon”, as some call it. Francis Sadiki did not wait for his son’s media coverage to create problems. “When Francis was there to support Noah in a youth match, we knew that an incident could happen,” remembers a former RSCA employee. It wasn’t at every meeting, far from it, but it happened regularly nonetheless.”

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In U14 and Francis lost his temper by attacking the parents of the young Standardmen.

Like this afternoon in 2018 during a mini-Clasico among the U14s. On one of the lawns of the Robert Louis-Dreyfus Academy, the Anderlecht residents feel cheated by the refereeing. Players, staff and parents do not hide their disappointment but Francis Sadiki goes further. “He lost his temper,” explains a witness to the scene. He went to the Standardmen’s parents to verbally abuse them. It got very hot. We wouldn’t have gotten to this point if he had stayed in his place like the others. Francis has always been sanguine.”

Noah Sadiki celebrates a goal among the RSCA youth team, followed by Zeno Debast (right of the photo). ©RSCA

Lotto Park stewards will not say otherwise. On August 7, 2022, Noah Sadiki celebrates his first start with Anderlecht against Seraing (3-1). He even assisted Francis Amuzu for the opener. Happiness for the family clan present in large numbers at the stadium. But the post-match was spoiled by the behavior of the dad who started screaming at the entrance to the clubhouse. For what ? A steward asked him to show his ticket. Reinforcements were called to take him away even though he was very threatening, believing he was the victim of racism. It is ultimately Noah who will have to intervene to calm the situation. He will put him in his place, as a father could have done to his child. The roles are reversed, while the young man is still only seventeen years old.

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I have always admired Noah in relation to his father’s behavior.

“I have always admired Noah in relation to his father’s behavior,” says Noureddine Moukrim, Sadiki’s coach at the U14s and then the U16s in Anderlecht. He managed not to be influenced by his father who was already the same as today. He could make disturbing comments and behaviors towards others. The club management felt that the father was a little crazy.”

A reputation that will pursue Noah, despite himself. He was not the most talented player of a 2004 generation that was not the most impressive in history at Neerpede (because Roméo Lavia and Mario Stroeykens were outclassed) but he improved every year. Listening to advice and endowed with a grinta rare at the Anderlecht school, Sadiki made his way to a central defender position where his small size did not benefit him.

Noah Sadiki: “At Anderlecht, they always took me for the little kid; to the Union, this is not the case”

Several youth coaches mentioned his positive development to Jean Kindermans, then big boss of the training center. From the U15s onwards, many felt he should receive a pro contract. To reward him and to protect him from the interest of several foreign clubs (including Lille) who admire the kid’s character at each tournament. But Kindermans didn’t flinch. “Each time he talked about Noah’s father in his justification. For him, it was difficult to succeed in such a family environment. He had experienced a lot of disillusionment with poorly worded promises,” specifies the former RSCA employee.

The RSCA tries to contact him for… four months after signing the professional contract

This is perhaps the greatest footballing pride he can have: Noah Sadiki still ends up receiving a professional contract on February 10, 2022. More than two years after the first positive signals sent by these coaches to Kindermans. But, again, his father manages to delay this key moment. “When we discussed this contract, Noah was still a minor,” explains another former Sporting employee. So we also needed the signatures of his mom and dad. His mom came to the meeting with Noah but no trace of the dad. We tried to contact him for almost four months! We tried everything: call, message, email and even registered letter. But he seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth. Then, he finally came and we were able to finalize this first professional contract. Sometimes parents are a career booster, but Noah’s father was clearly a hindrance.”

Will his dad still be able to slow down the kid’s growth? Paradoxically, the incidents at the start of the playoffs could help Noah. Between Francis’ outburst at the start of the playoffs and his son’s reaction, it is no longer possible to associate them. If the father were to slip up again, no one would have the idea of ​​linking this to Noah. If he maintains a cordial relationship with his father, he does not want to pollute his career because of him and distances himself when it comes to football.

It is not impossible to achieve a very good career despite an intrusive, even annoying father. Edinson Cavani is undoubtedly the best example. The former PSG striker did not have an easy career because of his father. In addition to outrageous behavior, he killed a young man during a car accident in 2015, while he was under the influence of alcohol. When he left prison, he distinguished himself again by talking about a transfer every time Edinson did not play enough for his liking. So much so that the player asked his father not to speak out in the press anymore, so as not to put him in difficulty with his employers.

Francis Sadiki is not there. His current “influence” is limited to social networks. And the private messages he loves to send, especially to journalists. This ranges from quotes from the Bible to promoting his football school in Brussels. And many chose the same tactic as Noah: not paying too much attention to it.

2024-04-12 04:41:00
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