In the space of a few short weeks in 2019, Bahrain striker Abdulla Yusuf Helal graced three of football’s most iconic grounds.
Playing for Czech giants Slavia Prague, Helal’s football dreams were quickly realized with Champions League trips to Inter Milan, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
People had questioned his decision to swap Bahrain for the Czech Republic in 2018 but just over a year later he was playing against the world’s best players in the world’s best club competition.
“These are memories that stay with you always,” Helal told Arab News. “I remember in Dortmund it was crazy how loud the fans were. Really crazy. We couldn’t hear each other out on the pitch — it was an incredible atmosphere and obviously I loved the experience.
“It gave me so much playing under such pressure and against such great players. They had Mats Hummels and Manuel Akanji in defense and that was a challenge — a different level of football in terms of speed, quality, physicality.”
Helal is currently preparing for his fifth season in Czechia having signed a few weeks ago for Mlada Bolesav, a club that finished mid-table last season but has designs on reaching Europe.
It will be his fourth club in the small central European nation, which has produced world-class players like Pavel Nedved, Petr Cech, Vladimir Smicer and Tomas Rosicky, as well as Atonin Panenka of dinked penalty fame.
More recently the likes of Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek have impressed for Premier League side West Ham, with the latter a teammate of Helal’s at Slavia Prague.
“It’s not surprised me to see (Tomas Soucek) do so well because he is a fantastic player and in Slavia at that time our team was really at a top level,” Helal said. “He has shown what anyone who plays in the Czech league already knows; it is a tough, physical league with high intensity and a high technical level.
“And it isn’t just me as a player from the Gulf saying that; I’ve had teammates from Germany, from Denmark who also feel that way. Now we see that big clubs in Europe are looking more at Czechia and of course that is another great reason to be playing here.”
The promise of future progress is what has brought Helal to Mlada Bolesav. It had seemed his time in Europe was over after he moved to Indonesian side Persija Jakarta last year but despite a fruitful spell in Asia, Helal felt he had more to give.
“The fans in Indonesia were incredible and people love football there — they follow you everywhere and it really feels like you’re famous,” the 30-year-old said. “But to be honest I didn’t enjoy my football and I really felt down about myself. It felt like a step back and I just think that this is my time to show what I can do — that’s why I’ve come back to Czechia.
“I have good memories here as it was the first jump to Europe for me from Bahrain,” he added. “I’ve enjoyed football here more than anywhere I’ve played and it’s great to be back.”
Helal first moved from Al-Muharraq to Prague-based Bohemians in 2018 after being encouraged by then-Bahrain national team coach Miroslav Soukup.
“I’m in Europe now because of him and we are still in touch,” said Helal. “He’s an incredible guy and like a father to me. He was always pushing me, and I remember him telling me to hold off signing a new contract in Bahrain because he felt like I could make it to Europe.
“I was offered good money to stay but he kept reassuring me so I trusted him and it was the best decision I made.”
After initially impressing for Bohemians, Helal made a high-profile switch to Slavia Prague before going on to play for Slovan Liberec, where he became the first Bahraini player to score in a UEFA competition — netting in two successive Europa League playoff rounds, as well as a winning goal in the group stage opener against Belgian side Gent.
Few Bahrainis have found themselves playing outside of the Middle East but Helal reveals that he has been trying to motivate younger international teammates to follow suit.
“Leaving Bahrain was a tough decision, but for me this was a challenge I really wanted,” he said. “Many players love to be in a comfortable zone between family, good money, an easier league. But Europe was a dream that I really wanted so I made sacrifices and I made it happen.
“We have a lot of talented younger players who have potential to play in Europe and they can do it for sure, but they need to have more courage and I say this to them. They need to sacrifice a little bit and realize that money is not everything, that maybe sometimes you just need to take a contract to show what you can do.
“Everyone has their own thoughts of course but for me it is about mentality more than quality. You have to want it.”
Towards the top of Helal’s list of football desires right now is a spot in Bahrain’s 2023 AFC Asian Cup squad. Having been a non-playing squad member in Australia in 2015, he was set to lead the line in the UAE in 2019 before an injury relegated him to a bit-part player at the tournament.
The striker admits he is somewhat concerned about next January’s tournament in Qatar. Bahrain have recently parted company with much-loved Portuguese head coach Helio Susa and have yet to announce a replacement. The national team did not play any friendlies in the recent FIFA window and Helal has not represented his country since the Gulf Cup semifinal defeat to Oman in January.
“It doesn’t feel like a good time for Bahrain,” Helal said. “We had many years of stability with Susa, won a lot of games together and reached a good FIFA ranking. I’m not sure why his contract wasn’t extended and we still don’t know who the new coach will be.
“I don’t know what’s happened with the federation or what the plan is, but we are already missing the chance to play friendly matches. Since the Gulf Cup I haven’t met anyone, no one has connected with me. I spoke to the coach because he finished but that is it. I hope they fix it because we have important times in front of us as a national team.”
At the Asian Cup, Bahrain will face Malaysia, Jordan and continental heavyweights South Korea in a tricky Group E. The opener against South Korea on Jan. 24 will be a repeat of Bahrain’s last AFC Asian Cup outing, a heartbreaking extra-time defeat to the Taegeuk Warriors in the last-16 in 2019. Helal came on as a late sub in that game and feels he and his teammates are capable of exacting revenge.
“I believe in my team and I believe in myself. We know they have really good players and … most of the team play in Europe but Saudi Arabia beat Argentina at the World Cup to show that anything is possible in football.
“I really hope at this tournament I will be healthy because I think I am more ready than I’ve ever been to help my country. I have a duty to do so and I know that if I am fit, I can help us get out of our group again. This is a pressure that I love to have.”
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