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Dutch professional football players can be found in all corners of the world, from the spotlights of the major European competitions to the more adventurous employments on other continents. In the section Over the Border speaks Football zone regularly with a player who is active outside the country’s borders. This time we focus on Martijn Kaars (25), who has been the record signing of 1. FC Magdeburg since last summer.
By Wessel Antes
810 minutes, 9 games, 5 goals, 2 assists and a surprising second place in the 2. Bundesliga. His transfer to Magdeburg is working out perfectly for Kaars for the time being. A surprise? Maybe for some. But in the extremely popular podcast The First The Best they already knew: Candle is on fire!
Monnickendam
Kaars now lives in Magdeburg, but it all started about a five-hour drive from the German city. Monnickendam in North Holland is the favorite home of the attacker, who likes to return to his hometown on his weekends off. “During international matches I can always be found in Monnickendam and then I am a loyal fan of our first team. If I succeed, I will also take the second one.”
Almost all of his friends play in the selection of the local football club, where he also scored his first goals. “I have played up front for as long as I can remember. I was very fast at a young age, so I was put in front of the goalkeeper several times per match. Then I made a lot of them, yes!”
When he was eleven, FC Volendam knocked on Kaars’ door. “The father of a friend of mine played for Volendam at the time, Jos Persijn. He dropped my name and then I was allowed to come and do an internship. Only after I was hired did they find out that I was a year younger than they thought, which was funny. From that moment on it became more serious.”
As a youth player for Volendam, Kaars is also called up for the first time by the KNVB. “That was special, as one of the few boys from Volendam. You suddenly find yourself among all kinds of talents from Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV. Who did I play with then? Guys like Donyell Malen, Justin Kluivert and Matthijs de Ligt. I found Malen in particular really impressive when I was younger. He was crazy good.”
Kaars combined pre-university education with football. “That always went well for me, I completed secondary school without too much difficulty. I was especially good with numbers. Later I studied Economics & Business Administration at the University of Amsterdam for two years, but I stopped because of the crowds.” Kaars does not rule out that he will one day be active as a commercial director in football. “That would be nice, yes, although I also really enjoy training!”
Ajax
After four years in Volendam, Kaars is switching clubs again. This time he will play for the big Ajax, after convincing Wim Jonk of his qualities. Kaars says he was formed in Amsterdam. “You end up in an environment with all kinds of top talent. The Dutch national team, in which I happened to already be playing, is the daily norm there. I really had a great time at Ajax, during which I learned a lot.”
“I was there every day on the field with men like Richard Witschge, John Bosman and George Ogăraru,” Kaars continues. “That is just incredibly educational for a young football player. Playing for Ajax demands a lot from a child, but I did well. Especially because it went well in combination with school, it was not mentally difficult. Physically it was a bit of a struggle at times, but I can only benefit from that now.”
The highlight of four Ajax seasons for Kaars was a trip to Iceland. “Then you suddenly travel together as a group of teenagers to Reykjavik to play a game of football. That was a moment for me when I realized how special it is to be able to play for Ajax. I never really realized that at a young age.”
Kaars has made good friends from his time at Ajax. “In the last two years we had a group with Jasper ter Heide, Victor van der Linde, Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, Sven Botman, Giovanni de la Vega and Nick Plomper. Before that, Lars Kramer and Ruben Hoogenhout were also there. When we have a weekend off, we occasionally go out for a bite to eat, so we always try to keep in touch.”
While Ekkelenkamp managed to get the first one from Ajax, Kaars had to leave the Amsterdam club at the age of nineteen. “I saw it coming. The first few years went really well, but when I became an A-junior the A2 disappeared, so I had to immediately join the A1. That meant I had to compete with guys like Kaj Sierhuis, Zian Flemming, Danilo Pereira and Daishawn Redan. Later even Brian Brobbey, three years younger, was added. I just didn’t have that level yet.”
Imago
Kitchen Champion
After two difficult years full of short substitutes in Ajax A1, Kaars decides to try his luck elsewhere. The striker is doing an internship at NEC Nijmegen, but still opts for a return to Volendam. In the promising team, Kaars destroyed the Third Division, after which his debut in the main squad soon followed.
“That familiar environment at Volendam was ultimately very nice in the initial phase of my career. If that goes well, I can score my goals anywhere,” says Kaars, who reveals his secret. “I’m quite fast and have a nose for goal. If I get the chance to shoot with my right hand, I don’t miss it. If you shoot a lot, you will automatically score more often.”
The opportunistic striker ultimately played 108 official matches for the Volendam first team, in which he scored 28 goals and provided 8 assists. After a more difficult season at De Dijk, Kaars is given the opportunity to join the Helmond Sport project. The goal thief is already on the loose in De Braak Stadium.
In his first season at Helmond, Kaars scored fourteen goals. In the past season, the right foot even managed to find the net 21 times. With this he wins a bet Football zonereporter Jelle Kusters, who personally delivers a clothes dryer to him in Monnickendam.
Kaars is very grateful to Helmond. “Those two seasons there were fantastic. I was really able to put myself on the map there as a footballer. Without Helmond I would not have made this wonderful transfer last summer. I still follow the club and the entire Kitchen Champion Division. Of course, it’s always fun to see how your football friends are doing.”
2. Bundesliga
Due to his drive to score, several clubs report to Helmond. Kaars can take a step up to the Eredivisie, but has already set his sights on another competition. “My wish from the start was to go to the Second Bundesliga. Personally, I think that is a better competition than the Eredivisie. If you look at the supporter numbers here, but also at the opposition, it is really no less.”
“Moreover, this is a competition that suits my qualities. I think that is very important. I know what I can do and what I am less good at. That’s why I’m very happy that it was successful. My start in Magdeburg is good, so I have nothing to complain about,” said Kaars.
If numbers freak Kaars had another moment of realization during his transfer. “I was previously allowed to leave Ajax on a free transfer, then also at Volendam. Two years later a club buys me for a lot of money. I am the record sale of Helmond and the record purchase of Magdeburg, that is special.”
Kaars has committed to Magdeburg for three seasons. In his own words, he fits in perfectly The club. “I really feel wanted here. From the first moment the club showed that they wanted me. I feel that appreciation now too. Magdeburg is an ambitious club that works with boys who want to, and at the moment you can see that the policy is working out well.”
The German football atmosphere makes quite an impression on Kaars. “We play in the MDCC Arena, which can accommodate almost 30,000 people. The stadium is almost always completely full. Magdeburg is a big city and this is truly a city club. Then things are going well. Our fanatical core is called Block UThat’s really fantastic to experience. I recommend it to every football fan to come and watch.”
Imago
At Magdeburg, Kaars plays together with Rotterdammer Mohammed El Hankouri, who has been with the club for two years. “That was nice at the beginning, although during my time at Helmond I was already used to being in an international dressing room with all kinds of different cultures and languages. As a Dutch person, you can quickly pick up German, so that goes well. I manage myself quite easily here.”
Outside of football, Kaars spends a lot of time with teammates. He lives in a rental apartment with his girlfriend. He likes life in Germany. “Magdeburg itself is a great city to live in when the weather is nice. You can enjoy cycling here, which I like to do. All amenities are close by and of good quality. If we want to experience more hustle and bustle, we go to Leipzig or Berlin, so that’s also nice if we have a few days off. I haven’t been bored for a day yet!”
Kaars plays with number 9 and is therefore the striker of Magdeburg. After his two goals against Eintracht Braunschweig, he is increasingly approached on the street. “People now want an autograph or a photo more often, which is fun to experience. I just like it because it shows that the club really lives among the people.”
Kaars wants to continue its current form. “Now that I have already scored four goals, I think more often about my first season at Helmond. I scored fourteen goals and provided four assists. I think that is a good goal for now. What do we want to achieve as a team? Direct enforcement was our first objective, but we are doing so well now that I think we can attack the top. We’ll see.”
When asked about his future plans, Kaars does not think much further than Germany. “As I experience it now, I actually think this country is great. Especially for the type of player I am. If I had to express an ambition, I would like to play in the Bundesliga one day. With or without Magdeburg it doesn’t really matter, both would be nice.” Where will Kaars be in five years? “Then I will be a top striker in the Bundesliga. Top striker is a broad concept, isn’t it? So I can go in any direction with that!”
