Ex-Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Yusuf Maart has opened up about his transition to European football, revealing that the move has given him a fresh perspective and a deeper tactical understanding of the game.
Playing in Austria for SV Ried, Maart says he has adjusted from a more expressive style of the Betway Premiership to a culture shaped by structure, analysis and tactical precision.
Raised in the poverty-stricken Atlantis in the Western Cape, Maart’s journey began under Roger De Sa at Cape Umoya United, before Orlando Pirates, Sekhukhune United and a leadership role at Chiefs.
According to the 30-year-old star, the Austrian Bundesliga is big on discipline and detail, with players expected to follow specific instructions in every phase of play.
EUROPE REWIRES MAART’S THINKING
“I think the team has made me better, and I have also helped the team; it’s both sides,” Maart said on the Soccer Beat podcast. “They do directly what the coach asks, they don’t bring their own personality… Sometimes I do my own improvisation, the coach is like, ‘wow, I need to do more of that.’
“There is so much more analysis on videos with the team. The coach also does analysis with me as an individual. We do them before games and again after matches. He shows me what he wants me to do and what he likes.
“Teams have already recognised me because I play the six [position]… I start the play in the build-up,” he added. “Players from other teams sometimes come to me to ask if it is my first time in Europe, they say no, it can’t be possible.
“But it’s reality, it’s life. They don’t know what steps I took… You can’t just go from 1 to 10.”
For Maart, Europe is not just about competing; it is about evolving, one step at a time.
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