Abdulla Yusuf didn\u2019t mince his words when asked why more\nplayers from the Gulf don\u2019t make the move to Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bahraini striker, who moved to Czech champions Slavia\nPrague in the European summer, is one of a few small number of players from the\nGulf to try their luck in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s long been a frustration that someone with the talent of\nOmar Abdulrahman, or the goal scoring record of Ali Mabkhout, hasn\u2019t opted for\nthe challenge of making it in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Yusuf, their reluctance to leave is tantamount to cowardice.\nChoosing to take the easy life and big cash on offer at home rather than take\nthemselves out of their comfort zone for a crack in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe (players in the Gulf) have talent, we have everything,\u201d\nhe explained. \u201cBut it\u2019s just about the mentality, 100 percent about the\nmentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMany players also in my country, they have the chance to\ncome here, but their mentality is too small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey think they have everything there, their family, good\nmoney. This is the problem, no one wants to follow their dream. Nothing can be\neasy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 26-year-old from Manama, grew up dreaming of playing in\nEurope and in his mind, regardless of what you achieve in your career, it means\nnothing if you haven\u2019t played in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay, you can do some good things in your league or your\ncountry, but nobody (around the world) knows you,\u201d he exclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cYou live and die in the same place. But you must follow your dream, let the world know you and in Europe it is different. In my opinion the real football is here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The peak for any modern footballer is the UEFA Champions League. Europe’s continental showpiece has seemingly overtaken the FIFA World Cup as the pinnacle of the game, and with his move from Bohemians 1905 to Slavia in the off-season, Yusuf put himself in a position to become the first Bahraini to appear in arguably the best football competition on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I was young it was a dream to play in Europe, and then\nto go to the Champions League,\u201d the told The\nAsian Game<\/em> podcast in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is my goal, I will be the first player from Middle\nEast, from Gulf countries, playing in the Champions League. This is a big thing\nfor me and for my country, for my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a goal he achieved when he came on for the final ten minutes in Slavia\u2019s 1-1 draw with Inter Milan at the San Siro on 18 September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n