Thank god it’s Friday

anouk hoogendijk

She is attractive, sexy, exceptionally well-dressed, and also a professional footballer at Ajax. And if you think she has time to relax now, just spraying champagne and diving off motor yachts (that’s what footballers do in the summer, right?), then you are completely mistaken. Because Anouk gives clinics, promotes her book, and auctioned an item at a big gala for dance4life yesterday.

Such a gala seems so different from your daily life among the grass blades. Suddenly you find yourself among the VIPs in black tie…

‘Yes, that’s true, it’s a huge contrast. But that’s what makes it so fun. I’ve always been someone who enjoys many different things. As a child, I loved playing outside, sports, Ajax shirts, mud on my knees, and so on. But on the other hand, I was a real princess: pink, dresses, makeup, jewelry… Since I was four, I’ve had an obsession with glitter. The whole neighborhood brought me glitter brooches and earrings they no longer used.’

You must have thought for a long time about what to wear tonight. What did you choose and why?

‘Tonight’s gala has a special theme: ‘Black tie with a sexy twist of The Great Gatsby’. I was lucky to borrow a dress from Mart Vissers. I always find his dresses very beautiful. It was a bit exciting to see if it would fit me. The dresses are, of course, made for models: tall and extremely slim. This week I went to try it on. The width turned out to be no problem, but the length was a bit trickier. Unfortunately, the long dresses were a bit too long for me, so I looked at the shorter dresses. I personally like either very long or short. The in-between lengths, especially dresses that just go over my knees, make me look a bit clumsy. Probably because of my football legs. I went for a red glitter dress. My glitter obsession from the past is coming back. I thought the glitter sequins matched the The Great Gatsby theme very well. Red is the color of dance4life, the organization for which the gala is held.‘

This column always starts with the standard question: what’s in your glass? Surely a little bubbly, or is that not allowed by the high gentlemen of Ajax?

‘During the season, I actually don’t drink or hardly at all. That’s not imposed on us; you have to make your own choices in that regard. I’m someone who, when I choose something, goes all in. Even though I know that a glass of wine on a day off can’t hurt, I practically never do it. I just want to be as fit as possible for my training and matches. Now I have a summer break, so I do allow myself to have a drink. I really enjoy dry white wine or gin and tonic.’

And can you eat anything?

‘From the club, we don’t have a diet or anything like that. We have weigh-ins and measurements scheduled every month at Ajax. Then your body fat percentage is measured, and they check how much you weigh. If that’s not good, you have to pay attention. If it’s good, it’s good. We train six days a week, so you can handle a bit of food, of course. If I’m injured or on summer break, I have to pay a little attention. You can’t eat what you eat when you’re fit and training six days. Because we often train in the morning, we have lunch at the club. I also eat at the club two evenings a week. The food there is good and healthy. I’m a real foodie; I really love good food. My family is also quite culinary. But good food doesn’t have to be unhealthy, of course!’

Tonight is bound to be a late one. What does your Saturday look like?

‘Tonight will definitely be a late one. I’m really looking forward to it! I’ve decided to enjoy it thoroughly. Nice people, good food, a beautiful ambiance. I’ll also be staying there, so I don’t have to worry about the time for once. Normally, I often have to go home on time and don’t drink. Then I have to train again the next day. That’s not the case now.’

What do you read and listen to in order to get inspired?

‘I listen to all kinds of music and find it hard to give it a name. I always find the question of what your favorite music is so difficult. Oldies, sing-alongs, a bit modern? A bit of everything, really. By the way, I’m not the type who sits on the bus on the way to a match with headphones on. I chat the whole way with Marlous, who sits next to me. We always have plenty to discuss. In the locker room, I do like it when the music is playing loudly. I read a lot, especially during training camps and vacations. I have a lot of books at home. My favorite authors are Leon de Winter, Haruki Murakami, Donna Tartt, and Arnon Grunberg. But I also have a diverse taste in books. I have many books from many different authors. Reading is the ultimate relaxation for me when I’m on vacation.’

Suppose earthly matters like time differences and travel times don’t exist. What does your ideal weekend look like? Anything goes, from breakfast in Paris to sprinting with Dafne Schippers and then having a gin and tonic in New York…

‘I absolutely love traveling, discovering new places and countries. Furthermore, I love nice weather, good company, good food, and of course a bit of sports as well. That all has to fit into my weekend. On Saturday morning, I’ll have a nice breakfast in Paris. I think it’s a wonderfully beautiful city. Then I’ll explore the city. In the afternoon, I’ll go surfing in Mimizan. I once did that for an hour, and I would love to continue that. In the evening, I’ll go to Capri in Italy. After an hour of shopping, I’ll have dinner with the whole family at a good restaurant. We start with all sorts of different appetizers: mozzarella, squid, vitello tonato… Then a delicious wood-fired pizza like they can only make in Italy. Super cozy.

On Sunday morning, I’ll play a game of football at Camp Nou in Barcelona. That’s a magical stadium where every footballer would want to play at least once. I’ll kick a ball around with Messi there. In the afternoon, I’ll lie on the beach in Bonaire and snorkel there as well. In the evening, I’ll eat freshly caught lobster there.’

Does Sunday feel different than Saturday?

‘Yes, for me it does. We train during the season on Monday, Tuesday, sometimes Wednesday, and Thursday. Then we play a match on Friday evening and usually come back late at night. Saturday morning, there’s still a training session scheduled. Sunday is our regular day off.