Neil El Aynaoui #24

Profile

In Morocco, the name “El Aynaoui” comes with a lot of pressure. Neil is the son of the Moroccan tennis legend Younès El Aynaoui and had to make a choice between tennis and football when he was a child. Neil started playing football aged four in Barcelona – “in a country that breathes football, in a city where you live well”. His father was a great inspiration but never tried to influence his son’s choice of sport. “My parents taught me all the details about being a good professional,” Neil says. “My father never tried to force anything on me. He let me try my hand at a bit of everything. Football was my passion.” El Aynaoui had to face a very disturbing event earlier this year, when he was the victim of an armed robbery at his home in Rome. He and various members of his family, including his mother, were held at gunpoint. No one was injured.

Key stats