Immediately, one is overshadowed in the presence of the modesty and leadership of the former Iraqi captain who kept goal seekers at bay in a career that was instrumental in creating one of the brightest eras of Iraqi football. Currently, Radhi Shnseishil applies his craft at FC Qatar in the Qatari League. However, coincidences stop there in Radhi’s credentials as he sets himself out as the cream of the crop in a Q-League currently gleaming with stars. His credentials speak volumes as he has the most championships amongst professional players by firstly winning the Emir cup a total of six times, with four of them coming in four consecutive years and with different clubs. He has also lifted the trophy of the Heir Apparent three times, and has finished top of the league the same number of times. With over an astounding seven hundred games at different levels, the pious Iraqi legend credits the blessings of Allah as the secret of his success, as he discussed in a memorable and lengthy conversation exclusively for shakomakonet.

shakomakonet: Tell us about your childhood soccer memories.
Radhi: As a child I was innocent and played football all the time for the sheer fun of it. I remember it took me from school, because I was pushed by my love for the game. I came from a poor background in Al Thawra neighborhood of Baghdad. I am not ashamed of my poor background. In fact, I still return to play with the same modest neighborhood teams that I used to play with when I was a youngster. I remember that my entire fans were Al Quwa Al Jawiya supporters, but of course all that changed when I started my career with Al Zawraa.

shakomakonet: Before we get to the start of your illustrious professional career, who or what was the driving force behind your hungry appetite for football?
Radhi: In my opinion, I felt that I had the talent and I had the willingness to play. I do respect, however, all those that helped me and those who criticized me.

shakomakonet: What your feelings in your first game with the Al Zawraa senior squad?
Radhi: It was against Al Jaish at the Al Shaab (People’s) Stadium. You could feel vibrations inside the ground. I felt dizzy and disoriented. It was during the Iran - Iraq War, and I played one and a half halves. It was the first time I had played under flood lights, and I would lose sight of the ball all the time because of those lights. I didn’t have the ball a lot that day. I remember that I played as a midfielder that day because we were short a man in that position. The game ended in a one all draw.

shakomakonet: How did you then move from a midfielder to a defender?
Radhi: I began in the midfield. But my coach at the time, Falah Hassan, thought that I could use my ability to control the ball and my good technique as a defender. That way I could build organized attacks from the back of the field all the way to the front. I like defense better.

shakomakonet: Is there a specific thing that you do before every game to prepare yourself?
Radhi: A professional is always ready. If he isn’t ready for two or three games then his career will be over. A player must be well rested and ready to play before any match.

shakomakonet: What is the difference between playing in the Iraqi and Qatari league?
Radhi: There are fundamental differences. In Iraq, football has a place deep in the souls of people. Football has enjoyed a great heritage in Iraq. Here in Qatar, the money, the stadiums, and coaches are available, but there are no fans. On the other hand, I remember seeing old black and white pictures of fans at the Al Kashafa stadium in their suits and ties. The Gulf region started building football only twenty years ago. On top of all that, there are a lot of players with a lot of talent in Iraq.

shakomakonet: What do you have to say about the recent phenomenon of superstars, such as Batistuta, Hierro and others in the Q-League?
Radhi: The Football Association and Qatari football are both benefiting from the presences of these and other stars. This is similar to the Japanese experience or the one in America when both Pele and Beckenbauer played there. The stars play well and this experience shows ambition on behalf of the Qatari Football Association. But there are still no fans eve there is more competition between the different clubs now, whereas before, fierce competitiveness was limited to the last three or four games of the season. The Q-League has been successful in exposing young players to playing with big stars.

shakomakonet: What was your best game at the club level?
Radhi: I have played over seven hundred games so it would difficult for me to choose but one game that stands out is one where I scored a nice goal against Al Karkh in the 90-91 season. I was playing as midfielder.

shakomakonet: What about your worst game at the club level?
Radhi: It was at the Kashafa stadium against Al Kut in 1983. I was with Al Quwa Al Jawiya, and I hated that game because I was forced to play in midfield that day when I really didn’t want to. I played terribly.

shakomakonet: Your first experience at the national level came during the Asian Youth Cup of 1988 which you guys won, how was that experience?
Radhi: This was the same team that later became the senior team of the nineties. We won against Syria from penalty kicks in the final. I scored from the spot that day. It was a great honor. It signaled the end of the golden era of Hussein Saeed and Adnan Dirjal, and marked the beginning for players like Emad Hashim, Naeem Saddam, and myself. It was a big achievement similar to that of a student graduating. It was lots of fun.

shakomakonet: Your next exciting experience with the national youth squad was a year later at the World Youth Championships in Saudi Arabia, tell us about your disappointing exit.
Radhi: Our group was difficult as were drawn against Norway, Spain, and Argentina. However, we managed to finished top of our group. I remember that our first game was against Norway and we managed to defeat them 1-0. We also managed to dispose of the Spaniards of 2-0 before beating Argentina 1-0 and short one man for most of the match. In the second round, we lost to one of the weakest teams in the tournament, the United States by a score of 2-1, and the fact that it was against the Americans made the disappointment even greater. I remember that one of the goals was from a free kick. We were overconfident prior to our match and underestimated our opponent especially after performing so well in the first round.

shakomakonet: Five years later and after narrowly missing out on a spot in Italia 90, the Iraqi national squad didn’t qualify again for the same tournament held in 1994 and this time in the United States, what happened in the game against North Korea in which we lost 3-2?
Radhi: As everyone knows, we were leading 2-0. We relaxed after the big lead, and the red card that Saad Abdul Hamid received had a big negative effect on us. We were exhausted mentally and physically as it was very humid that day. The substitution of Naeem Saddam also had an adverse effect on us, because Naeem is a defensive midfielder and was needed to maintain our lead. This game and the one mentioned earlier against America in 1989 are two things I will never forget.

shakomakonet: Was Adnan Dirjal a good coach in that match?
Radhi: Yes. He is an excellent coach, especially for younger players. He was successful with Al Karkh as a coach as well. After the loss, however, the entire coaching staff was changed. New coaches can’t do anything in such a short period of time. The team stayed the same, but the changes definitely had an adverse effect on the psyche of the players. That was despite the arrival of Amo Baba, or Abu Samy, who is the Iraqi coach with accomplishments. I still think that there were hidden hands behind our failure to qualify. We had a very good team.

shakomakonet: Speaking of Amo Baba, he has stated that he would be interested in nominating himself for the presidency of Iraq. Do you think he would make a good president?
Radhi: I think an athlete can best serve his or her country through matters concerning sport.

shakomakonet: Back to football and this time let’s talk about the 1996 Asian Cup in the Emirates. After success in a tough group (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Thailand), you lost to the Emirates in the second round, why?
Radhi: In the two years prior to the tournament, we had only played two preparatory matches. Both in Bulgaria. Only two games in two years. Amo Baba, Akram Salman, and Yehya Alwan were our coaches, and they helped us in reaching the round of eight was good which was a good result in its own right. Our loss to the Emirates was harsh, especially because if we had qualified then Kuwait would have withdrawn and we would have made it to the final directly. Our team played well against the Emirates. We missed a penalty shot in that match. The golden goal that the Emirates scored came from a free kick. We shouldn’t have committed that foul outside the penalty area, especially since the referee Jamal Ghandour was biased for the home crowd. The goalie also made a mistake in that play, and they scored. You should never give a referee the opportunity to make a call against you when playing against the home crowd.

shakomakonet: Considering the great rivalry that domestic Iraqi football enjoys, is there any tension between players from different clubs on the national side?
Radhi: Absolutely not. Even in the league, players are back to normal after a match and most of them are good friends. There were only a few exceptions. Very few.

shakomakonet: Radhi, tell us about the effects of the Iraqi Olympic Committee on Iraqi football.
Radhi: All the world knows about what used to happen. Iraqi football suffered greatly from the threats, punishments and the overall dishonesty that riddled the Football Association. To remain honest with myself and Allah, I must tell you that some players used this atmosphere as a secret to their success. But its impossible to succeed. Why should someone threaten me so I can play well? My motives are to serve and represent my country. Excellent results come out of an atmosphere that does not have the kind of pressure that the Iraqi Olympic Committee was notorious for implementing. Some players have modest skills but will perform better in the right atmosphere.

shakomakonet: With regards to the new Football Association, how do you feel about Sharar Haider’s efforts to discredit the new FA and start one on his own?
Radhi: Sharar has a wide imagination, and I think he has gone too far. He used to benefit from scaring players. I was scared of him. He was always a player with modest skills. He went to the West for money and fame. Its not true, he didn’t expose his family to danger. He had no real family ties anyway. He was impressed by the West and thought he was more civilized than Iraqis.

shakomakonet: If you were president of the Iraqi FA, what would you want to see get done?
Radhi: In Iraq, we were always the exceptional case in the footballing world. The right person was never in the right position. I would first choose the right people to manage the FA. They would have to be honest, and put public interest before their own private interest. We have endured twenty years of wars, and that has affected our international ranking. Despite that, we are still ranked higher than all the Gulf, with the exception of Saudi Arabia. We need to emphasize on building as opposed to producing good results immediately. That takes a lot of studying, just like they have done in Saudi Arabia and Japan. We have what it takes to advance.

shakomakonet: Is Iraqi football heading in the right direction now under the guidance of Bernd Stange’s coaching?
Radhi: I haven’t worked him so I can’t assess his coaching skills. I would need to work with him to tell you that. It’s definitely a big risk for him to be in Iraq under the present conditions, but as a coach he has no history. The exodus of Iraqi coaches from Iraq has shaken the roots of Iraq coaches. It’s true that with only hundreds of thousands, a modest amount in the footballing world, you can bring the best coach from outside, but an Iraqi coach is necessary. I feel that I can train the Iraqi team. I see that there is a flaw amongst the different age groups of the Iraqi footballing system. In the past, there were too many people involving themselves.

shakomakonet: Does that mean that we are going to see you as a coach in the near future?
Radhi: Through my experience with many coaches, I feel that I can train. I have been told that by many coaches. I can even coach the Iraqi team, but I’m not in a rush. I think I have the traits.

shakomakonet: Would you use an offside trap?
Radhi: That’s how weak teams play. I don’t like that.

shakomakonet: What do you say to young players like Emad Mohammed?
Radhi: He is a good player. A professional. I would advise him not let being a star get to his head and have aspirations that aren’t material. And that his aspirations and dreams are endless. Nothing comes easy.

shakomakonet: Where will you end your footballing career?
Radhi: I haven’t told this to my club in the Q-League, but I will tell you that this is my last year. I won’t play again.

shakomakonet: What have you learned from your footballing life?
Radhi: I came from a poor background. I suffered a lot and it took a lot of patience and hard work to be successful in my career. You need to work to improve yourself.

shakomakonet: Who was the best player that you ever played alongside?
Radhi: Falah Hassan, Hussain Saeed, Adnan Dirjal, and Ahmed Radhi. Each one was special in his own way.

shakomakonet: Were you especially wary of any particular forwards?
Radhi: A good defender isn’t scared of any attackers. Every attacker wants to score. They’re all the same. I am afraid of a player whom I don’t know because he can do things I don’t expect. In the Q-League now, Razzaq and Batistuta are both great strikers. I think Razzaq, however, is the best import in the Q-League. His club, Al Shamal is a mediocre team, but he is second leading scorer in the league. He has great talent.

shakomakonet: Who would you choose as Iraq’s dream team if you could choose players from any generation?
Radhi: That is a difficult question but I would use a 4-4-2 formation. In goaltending I would choose Raad Hamoodi. In defence, I would select Adnan Dirjal, Younis Azeez, Kareem Allawi, and Adil Khdhayer. In Midfield, I would choose Hadi Ahmed, Basil Gorgees, Saad Qais, and Habib Jaafar. And then I would choose Ahmed Radhi and Falah Hassan as my forwards. This is a tough question because I forgot to mention players like Laith Hussein and Hussain Saeed and others.

shakomakonet: What is the nicest Iraqi goal you’ve seen and what is the nicest goal you’ve scored?
Radhi: The nicest goal I’ve seen is Falah Hassan’s goal against Austria, and the nicest goal I’ve scored came off a header against Najaf in 1993.

shakomakonet: What’s the toughest crowd you’ve ever played against?
Radhi: That would have to be the Iraqi crowd during league matches. Iraqi fans don’t have mercy on bad players.

shakomakonet: Do you have any children, and would you encourage them to play football?
Radhi: I have three children. Mohammed is six, Ali is two and a half, and Fatima is five years old. And I wouldn’t encourage my children to follow the same road I did. It is a long and difficult road.

shakomakonet: What is your favorite food?
Radhi: Fish. Any kind of fish. But I don’t eat much.

shakomakonet: Who is your favorite singer?
Radhi: I don’t listen to music for religious reasons. I enjoy poetry more.

shakomakonet: Who is your favorite poet?
Radhi: I like Al Jawahiri, Al Mutannabi, and Al Nawab. I believe the saying that says, “from poetry there is a lesson in life". (inna min al shi3ir 7ikma)

shakomakonet: If you were stuck on an island, but you could choose three things or people to be with you on the island, what or who would that be?
Radhi: I would choose my mother, my children, and the Koran.

shakomakonet: Where is your favorite place in Iraq?
Radhi: All of Iraq is beautiful. Living away from home teaches you that. Iraq is full of culture and is wealthy in resources.

shakomakonet: Is there an Iraqi personality that you haven’t met but that you would like to meet?
Radhi: I would have liked to meet the great Iraqi poet Al Jawahiri, may Allah have mercy on his soul.

shakomakonet: What do you envision for Iraq?
Radhi: Every Iraqi wishes that our country stabilizes and prospers. Our people have gone through a lot of misery and hardship. I wish for an Iraq that represents and tolerates all Iraqis from every culture and every religion.

We would like thank Iraqi soccer legend Radhi Shneishel for all the great memories that he has given us over a long career that symbolized his dedication to Iraqi football. We would also like to thank him for finding time for us, and for his honesty and modesty throughout our conversation.

Special thanks to all those that helped in recording and documenting this interview. Without you, this would not have been possible.