Munas Dabbur: A virtual and real-life star

Football may have ground to a halt but Munas Dabbur certainly has not. The 27-year-old has been working on two fronts during the enforced break to the Bundesliga season, completing his rehab programme during the daytime and entertaining fans and experts alike during e-sports events on the PlayStation in the evening. It has been an unusual but very successful biathlon. As his fellow professionals tried to maintain their fitness level within the confines of their own homes, Dabbur really caught up in rehab. After rupturing the biceps tendon in his right knee, an injury which he sustained on Matchday 23, it was initially feared that he would miss the remainder of the campaign. Now, though, it seems as if a return to action this season is on the cards. For Dabbur, it feels as if someone made time stand still – just not for him: "The feeling of making up ground has motivated me a lot. I've caught up a lot and I'm already training with the ball again. I'll certainly be available this season."

While his legs were finally given a break during rehabilitation, his hands started to do the talking. The attacker has delivered several outstanding performances on the PlayStation, prompting astonishment and admiration in the e-sports world. A gamer in his spare time, Dabbur has beaten e-sports professionals and celebrated international triumphs – all while playing an attractive brand of football. His spectacular short-pass extravaganza impressed the commentators too: "Perfect", "brilliant" and "best player in this tournament" lauded the English experts as he beat Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno – himself the owner of an e-sports team – in the semi-finals of the Plan B Cup. 

As well as claiming victory in that international tournament – which also featured the likes of Patrick Schick (Leipzig), Krzysztof Piątek (Hertha BSC), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Manchester United), Dejan Lovren (FC Liverpool) and Michael Gregoritsch (FC Schalke 04) – there was another moment of magic in April as the TSG attacker defeated FIFA world champion Mohammed Harkous, known in the gaming world as "MoAuba". An unbelievable success in the now highly professional e-sports sector. The defeat by an amateur gamer prompted the professional, who broadcast the match live on his YouTube channel, to pay tribute to Dabbur: "He's definitely the best footballer on the console," posted MoAuba – along with a picture of his World Cup victory with the Israeli's face photoshopped onto his body.

Own e-sports team founded

A professional footballer beating an e-sports professional on the console is a remarkable achievement – and would be inconceivable the other way round. But for Munas Dabbur, the victory was not all that surprising. He knows the industry very well, recently co-founded the e-sports team MD9ESPORTS in Israel with his brother and reached 22nd place in the FIFA world rankings for the Weekend League last year. As a result, his self-confidence was already high before his recent successes: "I've been playing FIFA for about 20 years now and I know I can beat anyone in a match and that I'm not far from the top. But I have to admit that professional e-athletes are on a completely different level. So beating the world champion was very special. An unbelievable number of people wrote to me afterwards because he is an absolute star of the industry. MoAuba is a cool guy."

Marcel Schwarz, who partnered Dabbur on the TSG team during the "Bundesliga Home Challenge" tournament organised by the German Football League (DFL), also witnessed the triumph and paid tribute to his celebrity team-mate. "The fact that he has already beaten several professional e-athletes says a lot about his quality. He is one of the strongest players in Home Challenge, if not the strongest. He seems very focused and plays incredibly dominantly. He totally imposes his playing style. I think it's very impressive." In addition to his experience, Dabbur's strength is partly attributable to his intensive training. He currently plays "six to seven hours" on weekends and "three to four" on the remaining days, he says. He has no concerns about back problems due to his "special chair". But he emphasised: "When training properly gets going again, I will play less. Since we are expecting a baby next month and my wife is currently studying extremely hard for her medical studies, it's just perfect for now. She is happy when she has her peace and quiet," he said, laughing.

Praise from fellow players

Dabbur's video game success has not gone unnoticed within the TSG squad. There has been a lot of praise in the WhatsApp group, with many players watching the games live. Which has a downside for Dabbur, as he explained with a wink: "They obviously know how good I am and don't dare to take me on." Instead, there's a lot of joking about line-ups and goal scorers within the team – especially with his pal Andrei Kramarić. "He is my top scorer and unfortunately he scores more often than my own avatar. That annoys me a bit. So when I have a comfortable lead, I always try to score with me. That's still what I find the most fun after all these years."

But his greatest source of joy is still scoring goals in real life. The two-time top scorer in the Austrian league, who only played for FC Sevilla for six months following a highly successful spell with Red Bull Salzburg, has struggled in front of goal for TSG. Despite netting twice against Bayern in the DFB Cup, he has not scored yet in the Bundesliga. The extension of the season now means he has an unexpected chance to improve that record before the campaign is out: "I've had good games, but my numbers are obviously not enough for me. I hope that after my injury I can get in shape quickly and contribute with goals in the home straight to help us qualify for European competition." For Munas Dabbur there is no doubt about it: it's what happens on the pitch that counts. On the real pitch, that is.