The Catalan newspaper Sport highlighted the career of Dutch player Ibrahim Afellay, one of the names that arrived at Barcelona carrying great hopes, only to be hampered by injuries that changed his trajectory. In the winter of 2011, the Catalan club finalized the signing of Afellay for 3 million euros, at the direct request of coach Pep Guardiola, who saw in him a player capable of providing technical solutions and additional speed to the team's system.

The newspaper pointed out that Afellay's arrival sparked excitement among the Camp Nou fans, given his individual skills and ability to break through defensive lines. Despite his limited actual playing time, he was present in unforgettable moments, most notably his decisive assist in the Clasico at Santiago Bernabeu, which paved the way for Barcelona to reach the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley—a tournament they won, along with the Spanish league title and two local Super Cups.

Afellay was born in 1986 in Utrecht to a family of Moroccan descent and grew up in difficult circumstances after losing his father, which helped shape his character early on. Sport confirms that his outstanding performance with PSV Eindhoven made him one of the most prominent talents of his generation in the Netherlands, thanks to a playing style that combines speed, skill, and tactical flexibility between the winger and playmaker positions.

However, the successive injuries marked a negative turning point in his career at Barcelona, keeping him away from competition for a long time. This was followed by a series of loan moves to Schalke and then Olympiacos, before eventually transferring permanently to Stoke City, without managing to regain the former brilliance that had caught Europe's attention.

On the international level, Afellay chose to represent the Netherlands instead of Morocco, participating in Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, as well as the 2010 World Cup, where the team reached the final but lost to Spain. During that tournament, he was one of the substitute players.

Sport concluded its report by noting that Afellay ended his football career in February 2021 with Eindhoven, before moving into coaching. He worked with the youth coaching staff at Feyenoord, collaborated with Robin van Persie on the Netherlands under-19 national team, and later transitioned into television analysis, becoming a prominent voice in the Dutch sports scene, with a particular focus on Eindhoven's journey under the leadership of Peter Bosz.