Imagine: the coach asks the group who wants to take a penalty, the majority of professionals are fed up, but there is one who really wants it: the amateur. The man, who played in the regional league two weeks ago and was allowed to play for the professionals for the first time that day, picked up the ball shortly after, chased it through the middle and contributed to his team’s entry into the quarters of the DFB Cup. finals.

Normally, after a scene like this, one would wonder who this hardened young player is, but on Wednesday evening, after Hertha’s last-16 cup victory over HSV, no one asked that question. Not only because the amateur in question is already 27 years old, but also because almost no one asks who Nader El-Jindaoui is anymore.

With over 2.0 million followers on Instagram, over 2.6 million on TikTok and 1.75 million on YouTube, El-Jindaoui has a social following that many clubs would be jealous of. His own club, Hertha BSC, for example, has far fewer supporters. So how could this have happened?that a 27-year-old influencer is suddenly allowed to play in a DFB Cup quarter-final?

Because that’s exactly what El-Jindaoui appears to be at first glance: an influencer. He and his wife Louisa have run the YouTube channel “Jindaouis” for several years. There, they regularly upload videos that show their daily family life and also share moments on Instagram and TikTok.

On social media, Nader El-Jindaoui has always talked about being a passionate (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er. Early in his career, however, there was no clear indication that he would ever turn professional.

In his youth, the Berlin native played for Energie Cottbus and Chemnitzer FC, but at senior level he played as an amateur for SV Babelsberg 03, Greuther Fürth II, Fortuna Düsseldorf II and Berlin AK in the regional league before joining last season. , he joins Hertha’s second representation after 25 years.

This change also attracted criticism. Part of the media landscape and fan scene considered the move to Hertha II as a marketing measure, because at the time he already had millions of followers. For example, El-Jindaoui was allowed to star in a Hertha commercial with Prince Boateng, but almost no one believed he had what it took to turn professional.

He himself believed in it even more: “Let’s see what they will say if we get to the Bundesliga. We are far from over, the journey has only just begun. » At the same time, he objected to the accusation of being primarily an internet celebrity. « I’m not an influencer, I’m a (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er who shares his life. I fought all my life for that,” he explained to ‘Bild’.

Since then, El-Jindaoui has proven that he fights hard for it, training a lot and performing well in the regional championship. A week ago, Hertha coach Pal Dardai learned of the German-Palestinian. He let him train with the first team and even called him up to the professional team for the first time last week against Elversberg.

“I watched him, he gives everything, every day. He gives his life to train. If the result is close, I will replace him, » Dardai said before the cup match, honoring El-Jindaoui’s attitude. Hearing these words from Dardai’s mouth is rare, as the Hungarian is known for his rigor and regularly criticizes his players’ work ethic.

Against HSV, Dardai kept his word and replaced the striker, who showed a solid performance. The fact that El-Jindaoui then converted a penalty impressed his coach: “Raise your hand if you say he has no balls. He just poked the ball. It was great. Respect for that.

Thanks to his desire to compete and score, El-Jindaoui is now very close to his goal of becoming a true professional (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er. In the interview with ‘Sky’ after winning the cup, he made it clear how much he doesn’t care about being an influencer, when asked if his follower count would explode: « I I don’t care if it explodes. The stadium definitely exploded today. At the end of the day, it was (Site notre bureau spécialisé). I’ve played (Site notre bureau spécialisé) my whole life. Although some people like to say I’m an influencer. But I’m a (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er – and I share a little about my life.

It remains to be seen how many professional appearances the striker will ultimately make, but one thing is certain: there is very little amateurism in Nader El-Jindaoui at the moment. And that’s why he might ultimately be right if he believes that he is not a (Site notre bureau spécialisé) influencer, but a (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er whose path to professional (Site notre bureau spécialisé) is followed by a higher than average number of people. Or as he says himself: “If you Google me, it says (Site notre bureau spécialisé)er. And that’s how I feel too.