Feyenoord are interested in Excelsior midfielder Irakli Yegoian following his strong performance against Ajax last Saturday. The Georgian player provided the assist for Aymen Sliti's second goal in the 2-2 draw at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
In his first year at the club, he scored five goals and provided two assists. His background is remarkable: at age five, he fled Georgia with his family and lived in asylum seeker centres across the Netherlands for eleven years, moving frequently. His football career started at Vitesse, where he recorded eight goals and five assists in the 2024/25 season.
Former international Mario Been expressed his admiration on ESPN. "If you're talking about someone who, in my view, has all the conditions to make another beautiful step, then it's him," Been said. Former international Guram Kashia also praised Yegoian's future with the Georgian national team. The player himself remains modest and focused on Excelsior. "How good are we? We have a good team with many fighters, that is our greatest strength," Yegoian said.
The news of Feyenoord's interest confirms Excelsior's development policy. The club currently sits seventh in the Eredivisie with eleven points from seven games. The draw against Ajax was part of a recent run of two wins and two draws in the last five matches. The next challenge is a home fixture against Groningen on October 11th, a direct rival who sit eighth. The full schedule for the coming weeks can be found on our fixtures page.
Yegoian's form is a key factor in Excelsior's attack, which has scored fifteen goals this season. Top scorer Aymen Sliti, who headed in the 2-2 equaliser against Ajax, has three goals. The Georgian is a mainstay in midfield and his potential departure would be a significant loss. Excelsior's board has not yet responded to the rumours. The focus now is on preparing for Groningen, a match key for their position in the left-hand column of the table. The current standings show that a win could solidify Excelsior's connection with the chasing pack.
Further reading: Soccernews.nl
