Burglary trauma vs career hopes: Mustafa Saymak chooses family

A December burglary that left Mustafa Saymak’s home in ruins and caused €80,000‑€100,000 of loss has forced the 33‑year‑old former Aliaga FK forward to quit Turkey and settle back in Zwolle, where he now prioritises his family over any lucrative contract.

Malika Saymak discovered the break‑in after returning from a wedding in December when she saw the front‑door cylinder lock missing. Police confirmed the house had been ransacked and thieves stole bags, diamonds, watches and other jewellery, while the family had no insurance for the €80,000‑€100,000 damage.

At the time, Mustafa Saymak was playing for Aliaga FK in Turkey’s third tier and woke the next morning to dozens of missed calls and forty messages from his wife. He later recalled, “Ik word alleen wakker van mijn wekker. Toen ik al die gemiste berichten zag, wist ik dat er iets ergs was gebeurd.”

Their two children, aged eight and ten, were present when the break‑in was discovered and were described as “completely overstuur” by Malika. The family avoided sleeping alone for months, staying with relatives or having guests over for safety.

After three seasons in Turkey, the Saymaks returned to the Netherlands, moving into a temporary apartment in the Stadshagen district of Zwolle while they await a new‑build house. Malika, an influencer with a hair‑care product line, said they feel they were being watched, noting repeated door knocks that seemed to test their presence.

Mustafa, 33, could have renewed his contract in Turkey or signed elsewhere for a high salary, but he chose to remain close to his family. He has previously amassed 234 appearances and 37 goals for PEC Zwolle, and supporters frequently ask him to rejoin the club.

PEC Zwolle has allowed him to train with the Under‑21 squad but indicated no interest in trial players for the first team, prompting him to keep his fitness by training on the CSV’28 fields in Stadshagen. He has received interest from first‑division clubs, yet none have resulted in a concrete offer.

Technical director Gerry Hamstra wrote, “We have tremendous appreciation for Mustafa as a player and also as a person. At the moment we are building our squad and looking for a different profile.” This statement confirms the club’s current recruitment strategy does not include a trial for Mustafa.

Mustafa says he will continue to maintain his condition and hopes a suitable opportunity arises close to home, keeping the option of moving abroad as a last resort. The lingering memory of the burglary, he adds, makes staying near his family the priority.