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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Jeff Rueter

Meet Gjivai Zechiël, Feyenoord’s up-and-coming midfield maestro

Feyenoord's Gjivai Zechiël raises both arms, celebrating a goal in front of the stadium screen
Gjivai Zechiël scored a great goal for Feyenoord in the Champions League on Wednesday. Photograph: DeFodi Images/Getty Images

Nailing the pronunciation of Gjivai Zechiël may be a challenge for some, but it’ll be worth the effort. The Dutch G is a guttural one, not struck with a tongue so much as residing under one’s uvula like a congested H: kHEE-vye. The surname is a bit more straightforward: ZEH-kee-el, a natural decrescendo of emphasis with every syllable.

Used in a sentence: Gjivai Zechiël is one of the hottest midfielders in Europe, enjoying arguably the most rapid emergence of any high-level player in 2026.

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