Timber: Messi is above all else in my heart; I was cyberbullied after missing a World Cup penalty

Quinten Timber stated in an interview with L'Équipe that Messi is above all else in his heart, and that he was cyberbullied after missing a penalty in the World Cup.

You are considered a local during this training camp.

I grew up ten minutes from here (he was born in Utrecht, six kilometers west of Zeist). It always feels special to come home, even though I also come back with the national team from time to time. I really like being here. About fifteen relatives and friends came specifically to watch the warm-up match against Shahiniya on Wednesday. To be honest, this was not a real closed-door match; I arranged it, and Olympique Marseille couldn't refuse a request from a local kid!

You come from a large family with many siblings.

I have four brothers. You know my twin brother, he plays for Arsenal. Another brother, Dylan, plays for Maastricht in the Dutch second division. Another brother is my agent. Everyone lives in the Netherlands. My mother still lives in Utrecht. She worked hard and gave us a happy childhood. Now she volunteers in the church and community. She watches my games and likes to visit Olympique Marseille; she was at my house last week.

At the Dutch FA training base, we saw hundreds of children. Did you participate in training camps here when you were a child?

No, I never attended those summer camps; my family couldn't afford it! I just played football with other kids on the streets of the Hoograven neighborhood. In a large family of five boys, as you can imagine, we competed with each other and had to be really good. I played for Utrecht for two years first, then joined Feyenoord at the age of seven. My pace of life changed completely; it was no longer just playing casually with friends after school. After class, I had to rush to Rotterdam, a 45-minute drive, and after training, I would get home very late, eat, and then go to bed. The next day was the same. Jurriën and I lived like this from a young age.

Later, when you entered the Ajax youth academy, was your mother under a lot of pressure?

Not at all, we never lived in boarding school; we went home to sleep every night! We were quite lucky; the Netherlands is not a large country, and Utrecht is located in the center of the country. When I was thirteen or fourteen, my brother and I would take the bus and train together, always staying together and looking out for each other, which also put my mother at ease. This continued until I was eighteen, and then I got my first car. Even if training ended at ten in the evening, we would go home, which was a rare condition.

Who was your football idol when you were young?

Barcelona. Messi is my god. As a midfielder, I extensively studied the midfield trio of Iniesta, Xavi, and Busquets, and among them, I preferred Iniesta the most. But Messi... in my heart, he is always in a league of his own. After he left Barcelona, my fanaticism slowly faded. And after embarking on a professional career, one is more or less no longer like an ordinary fan. I still watch a lot of football, watching my brother play for Arsenal, and also watching Dylan's games.

What was your most lasting impression of the Dutch team at this World Cup?

A unique experience. This was my first World Cup, a dream I had chased for four years. And it was held in the United States, so the atmosphere was completely different. After drawing 2-2 with Japan in the first game, I suffered an injury and a concussion. My brother was also injured and left the national team before the tournament began. Our team was strong, but we were eliminated too early. The match against Morocco was very special; there are many Moroccan-Dutch people in the Netherlands. I knew Mazraoui, and also Sabiri who scored... I was happy to return to the pitch after completing the concussion recovery process, but I missed a penalty in the shootout.

Have you ever suffered cyberbullying on social media?

This is also part of football. It's interesting that before the World Cup started, I uninstalled all social media apps directly, isolating myself, seeing nothing from the outside world, not even reading reports about myself. Only after being eliminated did I log back in and see all kinds of comments, but this is the rule of competition: if you perform well, everyone praises you; if you perform poorly, everyone criticizes you. I know very well that I botched that penalty. You and I talked about Mbappé; he suffered a lot of cyberbullying after missing a penalty at Euro 2020. But even after all that, he was still able to lead France in this World Cup and the previous one!

You transferred from Feyenoord in January. How do you evaluate the Ligue 1?

The style is very similar to the English league. Before coming here, I knew that the physical confrontation would be very intense and I would struggle. The intensity of the confrontation is indeed very high, especially among the smaller teams, and I have great respect for them. But there are also many teams that play high-quality football, including us, Olympique Marseille. I really like this league. We played very poorly in the 0-5 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, but since then, I have truly felt the weight of this derby.

Before the transfer, did you communicate with Paixão? You both played for Feyenoord together.

We messaged each other. He always spoke highly of Olympique Marseille. But being in the Netherlands, you can't imagine the significance of a club like Olympique Marseille; you have to experience it firsthand to understand. The city, the stadium, the passion of the fans—everything is breathtaking.

De Zerbi signed you, but just two weeks later, he left the club.

Before signing, he told me: "You're coming here, but you need to understand that Olympique Marseille is a completely different environment." On January 24, we defeated Lens, then on January 28, we went to Bruges and lost 0-3. I wasn't on the Champions League roster and could only watch from the stands. After that, against Paris FC, we played exceptionally well for a while but collapsed in just a few minutes (drawing 2-2 on January 31). After the match, the coach told me: "You see, Olympique Marseille is just that special!"

Did De Zerbi's departure and the Champions League exit demoralize you?

No, one must always move forward. Coaches come and go, and so do players. We could have achieved much better results; the team has great potential. Looking back, all the twists and turns of last season can serve as lessons for us to grow as a team and strive for better, more consistent performances. After all, we also delivered many exciting matches, such as the 3-1 victory over Rennes on May 17.

Now we have a new coach, Génésio.

He has very clear tactical ideas, both in terms of how the game is played and how the dressing room is managed. He is experienced, and players who have worked with him speak highly of him. For us midfielders, there are many tactical combinations and choices, and he gives us freedom within the established tactical framework.

What are your personal goals?

More goals, more assists. Last season I rarely missed a game, and I performed reasonably well in most matches, but I must do more. I hope we play many exciting matches, especially at the Vélodrome. We must not only enjoy football but also bring joy to the fans.

How do you get along with your teammates? Does seeing teammates leave during the transfer window affect you emotionally?

I'm 25, and I'm used to this kind of thing. Nwaneri, he arrived at Olympique Marseille at the same time as me, and I admire him, but I knew he would leave at the end of the season. Greenwood, I'm especially close to him. I was genuinely happy for him when I saw him score a spectacular long-range shot for Fenerbahçe in their 2-0 victory over Sturm Graz in the Champions League on Wednesday. I will continue to follow them, just like I follow my old teammates from Feyenoord. Most importantly, when I first arrived at Olympique Marseille, I felt welcomed by everyone. This summer, we will warmly welcome new recruits and help them adapt as quickly as possible. I am not worried about the future.

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