Baghdad -

Iraqi journalist and writer Zidan Al-Rubaie has finished writing a new book entitled "Ahmed Radi.. The Migrant Seagull", which talks about the life of the late Iraqi football star Ahmed Radi, who died on June 21, 2020 as a result of being infected with the "Corona" virus. His death was a great shock to Iraqis and his fans in the Arab world.

Al-Rubaie said in an extensive interview with "Al-Jazeera Net", "The idea of ​​this book has been with me since 2018, and in agreement with Ahmed Radi, but circumstances did not allow me to issue it, but after the death of Ahmed Radi, I made a pledge to myself to document his sports, social and political life in a book." ".

He explained that the book talks about the late star's career from childhood until after his death, because "Ahmed Radi, even after his death, won new titles! I was keen to include them in the book, as well as many of the reactions of federations, clubs, and Arab, Asian and international personalities to his death, which was tragic." A real one for all his fans.

The author with his book on the late Ahmed Radi (Al Jazeera)

difficult situations

The writer pointed out that "the book also deals with some of the stories, situations, and punishments that Ahmed Radi was subjected to at the hands of Uday Saddam Hussein, who was president of the Iraqi Football Association during the period between "shaving his head" and disciplinary imprisonment due to the decline in his performance in some matches, and she is crying and funny in There is also a story about how the late President Saddam Hussein honored Ahmed Radi with a luxury saloon car in 1989 after his brilliance in the Friendship and Peace Championship held in Kuwait.

The book also contains a special chapter on the role of Ahmed Radi through his work in the Iraqi parliament (2007-2010) in removing some political figures from the presidency of the Iraqi National Olympic Committee, as well as his great role in approving the pioneer athletes law from within the dome of the parliament. The big role is to "fight him from some political blocs and remove him from the position of Minister of Youth and Sports in more than one parliamentary session."

Al-Rubaie stressed that "he was keen to record the most prominent advantages of Ahmed Radi on the lips of many Iraqi and Arab coaches, players, journalists and critics, and the aim of this is to enlighten the new generations about the great role of Ahmed Radi in the history of Iraqi football, and he was also keen to document Radi's differences with some coaches."

He explained that "the book will be a very important document for Iraqi football in general and for Ahmed Radi's career in particular, because I was able to document the history of Iraqi football through his biography, which is a very distinctive biography and calls for pride, pride and documentation."

Ahmed Radi (right) during one of his international matches (communication sites)

His professional career

The author pointed out that "the book contains a special chapter on Ahmed Radi's professional career with the Qatari teams Al-Wakra and Al-Arabi in the nineties of the last century, and his great role in transforming the Al-Wakra team from an obscure team to a team competing for various championships in Qatar."

He pointed out that "the book contained a special chapter on documents written by Ahmed Radi about how he was imprisoned in the fight against terrorism for two days due to a malicious accusation fabricated by one of his colleagues in 2004."

Al-Rubaie revealed that "he was very keen to get acquainted with all the details of Ahmed Radi's life and present it to the recipient in an easy and abstaining manner that makes the recipient interact with the information and images contained in the book," noting that "anything related to Ahmed Radi's sports and non-sports life I put in the book, I did not ignore it." Anything from his history, which is full of events, tournaments and situations.”

He believed that "what distinguishes his book from other books that may be issued later by Ahmed Radi is the presence of very important events written in the handwriting of Ahmed Radi, and these documents may lead to the anger of some of his colleagues who played with him in the Iraqi national teams or worked with him when he was a deputy in the temporary committee of the Federation Iraqi Football Association,” adding that “even if this book caused objections or anger among some sports and political parties, it did not cause me to be restricted or retracted from publishing it, because I dealt with the events very carefully and according to the documents that condemn those who caused harm to Ahmed Radi. And removing him from all the sporting and political positions that he was supposed to occupy after 2003.”

Farewell #Ahmed_Radi.. Arabs mourn the "legend of Iraqi football" after his death due to the #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/4FsNnLVKlt

- Al Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) June 21, 2020

his artistic talents

Al-Rubaie pointed out that "the book also touched on Ahmed Radi's non-spherical hobbies, as he is considered one of the good painters and has distinguished paintings with the testimony of specialists. He was also good at playing more than one musical instrument, and he is distinguished in playing tennis."

At the end of his speech, he hoped that "a sports or social body would print large quantities of this book so that it would reach all audiences and fans of the late Ahmed Radi in Iraq and abroad."

Ahmed Radi died on June 21, 2020 in the capital, Baghdad, as a result of complications from being infected with the Corona virus.

The Iraqi star is very popular with the football circles in Iraq and the Arab world, after he knew how to make his way to stardom for several decades through a football career that was full of achievements and local and continental titles, until he became one of the brightest stars of the Iraqi team and the Al-Zawra team, the owner of the great Jamahiriya.

Belgian TV deals with the biography of the late # Ahmed_Radi and announces that Corona has missed the Iraqi sports champion and broadcasts his goal on it # Ahmed_Radi_Fi_dham_Allah pic.twitter.com/IGzW8JMy69

— Shahid art 🇮🇶 🎨 (@romantg_mak) June 24, 2020

He was chosen in 1988 to be the best player in Asia, and in the same year he won the title of top scorer in the Gulf Cup tournament in Saudi Arabia, and also won the title of top scorer in the Arab Cup in Jordan, and won the title of player of the century in Iraq with the star Hussein Saeed.

The Iraqi star participated in two Olympics: the first in 1984 in Los Angeles, and the second in Seoul in 1988. He also participated in the FIFA World Cup in Mexico in 1986 and scored his country's only goal in the tournament and it was against Belgium, and the referee canceled another goal with the head against Paraguay. It was not counted due to the referee's whistle that ended the first half of the match and the ball was on its way to the net;

A goal that Radi has kept right all his life, the only time Iraq qualified for the World Cup.