Director Carin Goeijers followed the Dutch-Moroccan footballer Mbark Boussoufa for 2.5 years for her documentary Football Millionaire from East. The Dutch-Moroccan Mbark Boussoufa was waiting at an airport in Los Angeles opposite producer Paul Ruven. The two started talking, and Ruven immediately knew that he wanted to make a documentary. Back in Amsterdam he approached director Carin Goeijers, who won a Golden Calf for De Nieuwerwetse Wereld in 2000.