Mohammed Allach

{{short description|Dutch football player and sporting director}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mohammed Allach

| image = PvdA_Voetbalclinic_Mohammed_Allach_in_Den_Haag.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Allach in 2012

| fullname = Mohammed Allach

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|9|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = The Hague, Netherlands

| height = 1.80 m{{WorldFootball.net|mohammed-allach}}

| currentclub = RKC Waalwijk
(technical director)

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = DWO

| youthyears2 = 1994–1996

| youthclubs2 = Alphense Boys

| years1 = 1996–2000

| clubs1 = Excelsior

| caps1 = 80

| goals1 = 1

| years2 = 2000

| clubs2 = Feyenoord

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2000–2002

| clubs3 = Groningen

| caps3 = 69

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2002–2003

| clubs4 = Dordrecht

| caps4 = 22

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2003–2004

| clubs5 = Twente

| caps5 = 12

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2004–2006

| clubs6 = VVV-Venlo

| caps6 = 64

| goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 247

| totalgoals = 2

}}

Mohammed "Mo" Allach (born 20 September 1973) is a Dutch football executive and former player. He serves as the technical director of RKC Waalwijk.

Playing career

Allach studied social pedagogy after high school. He started his professional career at a relatively late age. He was a youth worker in Gouda, South Holland and played at amateur level with DWO in Zoetermeer and Alphense Boys when he was recruited in 1996 by the second-tier Eerste Divisie club Excelsior.{{cite news |title=Woensdagnieuwtjes |url=https://www.alphenseboys.nl/2019/03/05/woensdagnieuwtjes-137/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Alphense Boys |date=5 March 2019 |language=nl |quote=Mohamed Allach (speelde in 1994 in Alphense Boys 1 en ging daarna naar Feyenoord) keert terug als technisch directeur bij Vitesse.}}{{cite web |title=Mohammed Allach (1973) |url=https://www.kentudezenog.nl/mohammed-allach-1973/ |publisher=Kent U Deze Nog? |access-date=13 February 2021 |language=nl |date=24 January 2013}} Halfway through the 1999–2000 season, Allach moved to top-tier side Feyenoord, where he did not make an official appearance.{{cite news |title=Feyenoord haalt Allach naar Kuip |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1999/07/28/feyenoord-haalt-allach-naar-kuip-7456289-a843520 |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=NRC Handelsblad |date=28 July 1999 |language=nl}} In 2000, he left for Groningen, where he was a regular starter for more than two seasons.{{cite news |title=Groningen trekt Allach aan |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/groningen-trekt-allach-aan |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Voetbal International |date=2 June 2000 |language=nl}} In 2002, he was forced to leave there after a conflict with head coach Dwight Lodeweges, who called him a "source of friction" in the squad.{{cite news |title='Stoorzender' Allach mag weg |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/stoorzender-allach-mag-weg |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Voetbal International |date=10 October 2002 |language=nl}}

Allach then played for Dordrecht in the Eerste Divisie and Twente in the Eredivisie. When he was unable to enforce a regular starting spot at the last club, he left for VVV-Venlo in 2004. In 2006, he retired from professional football and then started working as technical director and head of practice at VVV.{{cite news |title=Allach stopt en volgt Stewart op bij VVV |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/allach-stopt-en-volgt-stewart-op-bij-vvv |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Voetbal International |date=31 May 2006 |language=nl}}

Executive career

=Twente and RKC=

In 2008, Allach moved from the role as technical director and head youth academy of VVV to Twente, where he became director of football.{{cite news |title=Allach verruilt VVV voor FC Twente |url=https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/allach-verruilt-vvv-voor-fc-twente~bc925348/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Trouw |date=16 June 2008 |language=nl}} After one season at Twente, he became director of football affairs at RKC Waalwijk.{{cite news |title=Allach nieuwe technische baas van RKC Waalwijk |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/allach-nieuwe-technische-baas-van-rkc-waalwijk |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Voetbal International |date=11 July 2009 |language=nl}}

=KNVB=

In 2011, Allach moved into a position as technical manager for the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB).{{cite news |title=Allach naar KNVB |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/allach-naar-knvb~b921eb973/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=De Volkskrant |date=28 June 2011 |language=nl}} Under Allach's period as technical manager, the Netherlands national football team, led by Bert van Marwijk, easily qualified for the UEFA Euro 2012, where the team subsequently went winless in the group stage and were therefore immediately eliminated. On 6 June 2012, the Netherlands were in fourth place in the FIFA World Rankings, only behind Germany, Uruguay and Spain.{{cite news |title=Nederlands elftal blijft vierde op FIFA-ranking |url=https://www.nu.nl/sport/2828188/nederlands-elftal-blijft-vierde-fifa-ranking.html |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=nu.nl |date=6 June 2012 |language=nl}}

=Vitesse=

In July 2013, Vitesse announced that they had contracted Allach as technical director. He succeeded Ted van Leeuwen.{{cite news |title=Allach volgt Van Leeuwen op bij Vitesse |url=https://www.fcupdate.nl/voetbalnieuws/238806/allach-volgt-van-leeuwen-op-bij-vitesse/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=fcupdate.nl |date=8 July 2013 |language=nl}} Allach held that position until 2017. During this period, Vitesse won the KNVB Cup, the first silverware in club history.{{cite news |title=Technisch directeur Allach keert per direct terug bij Vitesse |url=https://www.nu.nl/voetbal/5771946/technisch-directeur-allach-keert-per-direct-terug-bij-vitesse.html |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=nu.nl |date=4 March 2019 |language=nl}} After a short stint with Israeli club Maccabi Haifa,{{cite web |title=מו אלאך, מונה למנהל הטכני |url=http://mhaifafc.com/newsPage.asp?newsID=47021 |publisher=Maccabi Haifa |access-date=13 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207083927/http://mhaifafc.com/newsPage.asp?newsID=47021 |archive-date=7 December 2017 |language=Hebrew |date=6 November 2017}}{{cite news |title=Mohammed Allach verkiest Maccabi Haifa boven Vitesse |url=https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/mohammed-allach-verkiest-maccabi-haifa-boven-vitesse-br-br~ac2ffde2/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Algemeen Dagblad |date=6 November 2017 |language=nl}} Allach returned to Vitesse in March 2019. Allach left the club nine months later after a conflict with club management.{{cite news |title='Reset' en zeventien kilo kwijt na Vitesse-exit: "Nu is het genoeg, dacht ik" |url=https://www.voetbalprimeur.nl/nieuws/936331/allach-reset-zichzelf-en-valt-zeventien-kilo-af-nu-is-het-genoeg-dacht-ik-.html |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Voetbalprimeur |date=16 July 2020 |language=nl}}{{cite news |last1=Hack |first1=Wilber |title=Allach keert half jaar na breuk met Vitesse terug in de eredivisie |url=https://www.gelderlander.nl/vitesse/allach-keert-half-jaar-na-breuk-met-vitesse-terug-in-de-eredivisie~aa4e9f82/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=De Gelderlander |date=10 June 2020 |language=nl}}

=Return to RKC=

On 10 June 2020, RKC Waalwijk announced that Allach would become the new technical director; his second period with the club.{{cite web |title=Mo Allach keert terug als Technisch Directeur bij RKC Waalwijk |url=https://www.rkcwaalwijk.nl/11/rkc-waalwijk/nieuws/nieuws?article=3013 |website=rkcwaalwijk.nl |publisher=RKC Waalwijk |access-date=13 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610202829/https://www.rkcwaalwijk.nl/11/rkc-waalwijk/nieuws/nieuws?article=3013 |archive-date=10 June 2020 |language=nl |date=10 June 2020}}

Political career

In late 2003, Allach and friends founded the Maroquistars Foundation, a volunteer organisation that aims at strengthening young people in terms of social resilience through social projects.{{cite web |title=Folder Maroquistars |url=http://www.maroquistars.nl/UserFiles/File/MAR022_A4_algfolder.pdf |publisher=Stichting Maroquistars |access-date=13 February 2021 |language=nl |quote=Stichting MaroquiStars is in 2003 opgericht op initiatief van oud profvoetballer Mohammed Allach. Stichting MaroquiStars richt zich tot kwetsbare groepen in de Nederlandse samenleving zijn, waarover een negatieve beeldvorming is ontstaan.}}

Allach is a member of the Labour Party (PvdA). For the 2006 Dutch general election, he was asked by leader of the party Wouter Bos to run under the PvdA candidate list, but he declined this.{{cite news |last1=Hoogerwaard |first1=John |title=Voetballer met een mening |url=https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/voetballer-met-een-mening~ba80da70/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=Trouw |date=26 May 2006 |language=nl}} For the 2012 Dutch general election, Allach was the PvdA's Lijstduwer. He was in 73rd place, just ahead of Maarten van Rossem.{{cite news |title=Marcels Vitesse Mo Allach |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2014/02/25/marcels-vitesse-mo-allach-1352054-a555150 |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=NRC Handelsblad |date=25 February 2014 |language=nl}}{{cite news |title=Voetbalclinic georganiseerd door oud-profvoetballer Mohammed Allach |url=https://eindhoven.pvda.nl/archief-oude-site/archief-oude-site-nieuws/clinic-cruijffcourt-door-lijstduwer-pvda-en-oud-profvoetballer-mohammed-allach/ |access-date=13 February 2021 |work=PvdA |date=15 August 2012 |language=nl}}