Prime Video arranged a special pre-match surprise for Donyell Malen ahead of Roma's Champions League fixture against Real Madrid, bringing his mother Mariska Manshanden, grandmother Maria Vogelzang-Van Ooy and René De Kort, youth coach at VV Success where Malen began his career, on air.
Malen's grandmother recalled his earliest encounters with football: "He played at home, shooting between the table legs. We also played stop-and-shoot outside the house—I'd pass to him. After an hour I'd say: 'Don, that's enough.' I have to say Donyell helped me recover from a serious illness I had at the time." His mother expanded on his childhood drive: "He wanted to play more and more, never stopping. My mother was ill when Donyell was born. She started taking walks with him, and he's keen to say he was the reason she recovered. Donyell stayed with my parents while I worked nights as a taxi driver. When he was four, my father told me he wanted to go to the football field, but they said he was too young."
De Kort remembered a formative moment at VV Success: "One day I looked around and saw Donyell outside the pitch juggling the ball. 100, 101, 102, 103... I thought I had to get him in. I gave him a shirt, he went on and scored ten goals and we won 10–9. For his grandfather, Donyell was everything—they always played together in the Westerland pitch." Malen's mother noted that field now bears her father's name. De Kort shared another anecdote: "He tried out all the tricks with Donyell. One Saturday he turned up with a bad back, struggling to walk. I asked him: 'What were you thinking? You shouldn't be doing backflips at 65!' She also recalled one of his early goals: "Justin Kluivert took a corner and Donyell scored a bicycle kick that won us the tournament."
Regarding his life in Rome, his mother said: "He talks about the Colosseum all the time—he went there on 5 October. He loves the city so much. Once he was leaving the stadium and a supporter bowed to him—absolute madness. For me, though, he's always just Donyell, my son." On his Roma form: "I think Donyell always wanted to express himself at these levels, but many things have to work together. Now I believe he's playing in the right position. He likes being at centre-forward and I think his teammates are helping him express himself best in that role. He's already played many Champions League matches, but this time it's different. We see him happy. We always knew what he was capable of, but now he's showing everyone his qualities. And you haven't seen everything yet: there's much more."
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Roma will host a Champions League fixture on Wednesday 14 October at 21:00, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini naming his squad for the occasion. Roma News reports that Devis Vásquez has been included in the Champions League squad following an injury to Mile Svilar, and will be available alongside Pierluigi Gollini and De Marzi. Konstantinos Koulierakis has recovered from injury and is regularly selected for the European fixture, providing an additional defensive option. Bryan Cristante remains absent, continuing his recovery from a knee injury. The squad includes defenders Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi; midfielders Pellegrini, De Roon, Koné, Pisilli and Mora; and forwards Castro, Malen, Soulé and Dybala.
Ahead of the fixture, Forza Roma reports that Prime Video arranged a special pre-match surprise for Donyell Malen, bringing his mother Mariska Manshanden, grandmother Maria Vogelzang-Van Ooy, and René De Kort, his youth coach at VV Success, on air. His family and coach shared stories of Malen's childhood passion for football, recalling how he would practise constantly and scored a bicycle kick in a tournament-winning performance. His mother reflected on his Roma experience: "He talks about the Colosseum all the time. He loves the city so much." She also praised his current form and positioning: "I think his teammates are helping him express himself best in that role. We see him happy. We always knew what he was capable of, but now he's showing everyone his qualities."
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Nel prepartita della sfida di Champions League tra Roma e Real Madrid, Prime Video ha organizzato una sorpresa speciale per Donyell Malen. In diretta sono intervenute la madre dell'attaccante giallorosso, Mariska Manshanden, la nonna Maria Vogelzang-Van Ooy e René De Kort, allenatore del settore…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.
