“The goal is to win the World Cup”

Foot Mercato: Manu, you played in three championships in your career. What differences are you noting between these three and which one who, in your opinion, suits you the most?

Manu Koné : I started in France. Afterwards, in Ligue 1, I didn't play much. I only did 6 months. There was the covid, after I played in Ligue 2 too. For the rest, it's really three different championships. I will say that Italy is a little more tactical. The Bundesliga is the one who will score first, it is very open. France is a bit of a mix of both. But it is true that in Germany, the championships suited me a little more, in the sense that I could no longer express my physical qualities, the box-tobox with the ball. In Italy, it's almost impossible to do so.

FM: You just completed your first season at AS Rome. What assessment do you take from this first season?

MK : From a collective point of view, it is quite mixed. We made a big comeback in the ranking at the end. It's a bit complicated but in the end, we can be happy. And from an individual point of view, it is one of the first seasons where I was the most constant. Usually, I always had a time when for 2-3 months, I was a little worse. Frankly, I think I was constant from start to finish. It also translated into selection. I am very happy with my first season in Rome.

“The Olympics? It was really incredible. “

FM: You discovered a new country, a new championship, a new language … How was your adaptation?

MK : Afterwards, I have been away from my family for a very long time. That is to say that for me, adaptation in a new country is not really a problem. For me, adaptation is more compared to the team. In the sense that being efficient directly. This is the hardest. I have always succeeded until then in the sense that I was performing directly. And for me, when you are performing directly, directly, the teammates … You are welcomed much more easily. We will say that if you are a little worse, there are a bit of looks. But when you are performing directly, we are good with you.

FM: There were also young players like Lucas Gourna-Douath who arrived in January. Did you help him integrate?

MK : He, with his personality, he integrates himself. He is a leader in the soul. He already speaks at his age. It shocked me. He already speaks in training with his voice. In the locker room, it shows that it is someone who does not allow himself to be done. It means that it fits itself. With the French, it made it easier, but it is loved by everyone.

FM: Before this beautiful season, you had performed at the Olympic Games. What memory do you have of the Olympic Games?

MK : It was really incredible. Already to do so in France. There are many who neglected it. Many have neglected the Olympic Games. Frankly, incredible. They missed something crazy. Because to do it in France, in front of his supporters … Really, I don't have the words. Especially the course too. In view of the final too, we were losing, we came back … Frankly, we can only be proud. At the end, you have a medal. So it's still a bit in the archives. And you're in the history of the Olympic Games, it's a great memory.

FM: At the Olympic Games, you played with Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki. Did you expect such a climb after a year for them?

MK : Afterwards, in terms of time, after a year, I don't know. It is certain that they were already at a very high level of pure talent. If we talk about pure talent. At any time, it was going … we don't know when, but at any time, when it was really going to work, it was necessarily going to go all the top live. Today, we are not shocked. There is one in City. There is one today in Paris Saint-Germain which is one of the biggest names in French football now. So, I'm very happy for them.

FM: And precisely, you found them in the French team where a generation jo has recently imposed itself …

MK : It's huge. If we thought at the time that today, we would all be together like that and there was going to be at least 5-6 players of the Olympic Games, I do not know how we would have reacted. We thought about it a bit, but it's a lot anyway. We are very happy. There is a slightly young group, but super talented.

“The number 1 objective is to win the World Cup”

FM: It is also a group where you are a little all the same age too …

MK : Exactly. You go from the year 1998 until 2004-2005, we are all, we will say, of the same generation. It means that even when we laugh between us, we have the same delusions. There have been players who have great precocity like Aurélien, Warren, Willow (William Saliba, Editor's note). We all played together in young people. When you go up, there is not really an ego directly. The elders now are Ousmane Dembélé, we can say it (laughs). Now the ancients are the oldest. They make us comfortable direct.

FM: We are a year from the World Cup. What are the objectives of such a talented group?

MK : When you are talented, and you are France, potentially, you want to win the World Cup. So the number one goal, and it's the only one, is to win the World Cup.

FM: Do you already think of the World Cup from a personal point of view?

MK : I don't think about it every day. But it is a goal. And for me, when you have a goal, you have to do things to get there. You say that in your head, I say to myself continues to do what you do. And if you work well, you will be there.