Meknes – Former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf praised Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi’s performance for Manchester City on Tuesday against Portuguese side Porto, during the opening round of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
The game saw Manchester City edge FC Porto 2–0 in their Champions League opener, powered by a clinical second-half brace from Erling Haaland.
The highlight of the night was Bouaddi’s standout starting debut, where the 18-year-old midfielder controlled the tempo with a remarkable 98% pass completion rate and relentless defensive work over 75 minutes.
Speaking as a studio pundit on Amazon Prime Video’s Champions League coverage, Seedorf hailed Bouaddi’s tactical maturity and compared his calm presence on the ball to one of football’s finest midfielders.
“He played at one steady pace, but Busquets used to play at one pace too. Not losing the ball, holding onto possession, maintaining good positioning, and consistently reading the game so well at his age is remarkable,” the former Dutch international said.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca also commended the youngster’s composure, pointing out how rare it is for someone of his age to stay so unbothered on a big European night.
“Many players start to panic after missing two passes, but he is only 18 and he’s a fantastic player. I think he was very good tonight,” Maresca said.
“You can expect Erling, Ruben, or Mateo to handle these kinds of matches better, but you don’t expect that from an 18-year-old, and he was excellent. I didn’t see him panic at any point, so congratulations to Ayyoub,” he added.
The Moroccan international joined Manchester City from Lille only in August, committing to a five-year deal that keeps him at the club until 2031.
Bouaddi completed the transfer after racking up 96 first-team appearances in France and enhancing his international reputation with Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
