Julian Draxler does not regret his move to the desert. The former German international has found a new home in Qatar. A return to Europe is currently “unthinkable.”
Julian Draxler had probably imagined a different start to the new season. The 31-year-old lost his first match in the Stars League with Qatari club Al-Ahli 0-2 – even Draxler, who played the entire 90 minutes, couldn’t change that.
Nevertheless, the former Bundesliga player’s record in Qatar is impressive. After difficult years in Paris and Lisbon, Draxler is blossoming again: he has been directly involved in 34 goals in a total of 38 games, despite struggling with a muscle injury and a hairline fracture in his foot in his debut season. The move to the desert was exactly the right one for him. “I am fulfilled with my family, as a father, as a husband and as a footballer. I am very happy in Qatar,” says the German, looking back on his first two years.
In September 2023, Draxler started his new adventure in the desert state after an unsuccessful loan spell at Benfica Lisbon (two goals in 18 games). The 58-time German international cannot imagine returning to Europe in the near future, as he emphasized in an interview with Le Parisien.
Draxler: “I’m not Neymar.”
Consequently, the 31-year-old decided to commit his long-term future to his new home, extending his contract in Doha until 2028 in January. His former doubts about the move are now a distant memory. “I hesitated for a long time before going to Qatar because I was only 29 when I signed the contract. The decision to restart my career here was a difficult one.”
But even the Gladbeck native sometimes finds it surreal that things have come this far. In six years, Draxler played 198 games for Paris St. Germain (66 goal contributions), but after a promising start – in his first full season at PSG, he made 47 competitive appearances across all competitions – he gradually went from being a regular starter to a spectator in the stands. “If someone had told me when I started so well at PSG in 2017 that I would be playing in Qatar at the age of 29, I wouldn’t have believed them,” Draxler admits.
A career in administration?
But since leaving the reigning Champions League winners, the 31-year-old has particularly enjoyed stepping out of the spotlight and the reduced interest in his personal life. “I’m not Neymar, but when you play for PSG, it’s pretty difficult to lead a normal life,” admits Draxler. “I can move around freely without feeling like people are following my every move.”
But the former national player is also open about the financial side of his move: “I’m not ashamed of it,” he admits candidly. “Football is extremely important, but my parents are getting older, my son is three years old, time is passing very quickly, and if I can help my family financially with the money I’ve earned during my career, there’s no reason to hide.”
Draxler already has a plan for life after his career. The attacking player wants to remain loyal to soccer. To this end, he will soon begin studying sports management. “I could imagine becoming a sporting director and switching to the other side. Julian Draxler, the future sporting director of PSG? That would be a dream!” Draxler admits with a laugh.
