Moroccan blue and white striker El-Mehdi Mauhub in his first big interview talked about how he started playing football, his adaptation in Russia, an unusual celebration of goals and the main goal in his career.
— It has been two months since your arrival in Russia. Can you say that you have already fully adapted to your new country and team?
— The adaptation is going very well. When I arrived, I saw that Dynamo has created all the conditions for football players. I feel very good and I am working hard to help the team move forward.
— What surprised you the most about Russia?
— There was no surprise. On the contrary, everything is very comfortable and healthy here! My goal is to play football. The club has all the conditions for this, so I can only do what I love.
— The cold weather is already coming and the first snow has fallen. Arthur admitted that he was a little afraid of the Russian winter. How do you feel about this weather, given that the climate in Morocco is much milder?
— I came to Dynamo to play football and knew in advance where I was going. Since everyone is playing in such weather conditions, then I will do it. No matter what the weather, I am ready to move towards my goal.
— The fans know a little about you. Tell us how was your childhood and where did your love of football come from?
— Morocco is a football country. Since I was born, I have been playing football on the streets of Casablanca with other guys. At the age of 10 I got into the football academy of the club "FUS", the best in Morocco. I tried to constantly progress and made my professional debut at the age of 16.
— Who was your idol as a child and which team did you support?
— Since childhood, I have dreamed of joining the Raja club from Casablanca, and I eventually succeeded. My favorite team outside Morocco is Arsenal in London. If we talk about the idol of world football, then I will call Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
— Your career has developed rapidly, and last season, at the age of 20, you won the championship and the Moroccan Cup with the "Raja" from Casablanca without a single defeat. You rarely see this. How did you manage it?
— Raja Casablanca is a big club. Fans always expect the players of the team to show high results. Last season, when we won the championship, the whole team worked together to achieve the result. In Russia, I would like to repeat this result and win the trophy with Dynamo, sharing it with my current partners.
— At the World Cup in Qatar, the Moroccan national team made a real splash, taking fourth place. Can we say that there is a real football boom in Morocco right now?
— Football in Morocco is in the hearts of all residents of the country. We all have football fans. After the fourth place in Qatar, Morocco has become a football country in the eyes of many people around the world. And I feel like an ambassador of Moroccan football in Russia. I want to work hard to become the best striker of my country. This is my goal!
— The success at the World Championships was not an isolated one – this year you won a bronze medal with the national team at the Olympic Games. Could you compete for gold?
— Of course, the Olympic bronze medal is a great success for us! But I'm not lying if I say that we came for gold. But God ordered it that way, so we are happy with the third place, although there was a real opportunity to reach the finals and win gold medals.
— You already knew then that you were moving to Dynamo. Did you have time to cross paths with Fabian Balbuena in France, who played for Paraguay?
— Unfortunately, it was not possible to meet Fabian, because we played in different cities. We continued to play until the very end, and Fabi only reached the quarterfinals with his national team.
— What is the main impression left from participating in the Olympics?
— It was my first major tournament, so it will always remain in my memory. The pace of the game was quite high compared to what it was before in my career. I have the best impressions of both the tournament itself and the teams we played against. The competitions were held at the highest level.
— After the Olympics, you finally came to Russia. How do you assess the level of the Russian championship?
— Everything is perfectly organized in Russia. Football is at a decent level. For me, this is an even greater incentive to work hard to progress and make a good career.
— You started very well: in 11 matches you scored 5 goals and gave 2 assists. Are you completely satisfied with yourself?
— Thank God, the beginning of my Russian career turned out well for me. But I feel like this is just the beginning. I want and can score even more goals, help the team achieve its goals.
— Probably, there could have been more scoring points if it hadn't been for the removal in the match with Spartak. How would you rate refereeing in Russia as a whole?
— Actually, I can only say good things about refereeing in Russia. True, I did not know certain subtleties and moments that I encountered here. My teammates are willing to share advice and tips with me. A person can make mistakes, but the main thing is that he learns from his mistakes. In the future, I would like to avoid such moments as my removal in the derby with Spartak. I keep learning!
— In the cup match with Krylia, you scored a hat-trick, which Dynamo did not manage for 7 years. Have you managed to score so many goals in one game before?
— No, the match against Krylia was my first hat-trick in my adult career, which I dedicated to my parents.
— Now the playoffs begin in the Cup and Lokomotiv will be our first opponent. With what attitude do you approach the upcoming derby?
— I am very glad that we have to fight a big opponent in the playoff match. I'm looking forward to this game, because such matches really reveal the players on the field. We will work to get to the next stage.
— Do you have a memorable goal celebration – tell us about it, what does it symbolize?
— As I have already said, I have been rooting for Raja from Casablanca since childhood, and the logo of this team is an eagle. So from an early age I marked the goals scored in the same way. We can say that this is already a tradition.
— Do you play with a bandaged left hand – did you have some kind of injury or is it such an element of style?
— To be honest, it's more of a style. Since childhood, I have been used to playing with a bandaged hand and without this bandage I can no longer imagine myself on the field.
— You are a central striker, but in some matches Marcel released you on the left edge of the attack. Are you comfortable operating there?
— Since childhood I have played as a forward, but at the professional level I have played both a central striker and a left winger. Some coaches see me more on the edge of the attack, others in the center. I feel better at the forefront of the attack. But there is a coach. He is the boss and decides where best to use me so that I can help the team.
— For a place in the center of the attack, you are competing with the best player of the Premier League last season, Konstantin Tyukavin. What do you think about him?
— Kostya is a very good striker, a Dynamo graduate. We communicate well and work together to help the team achieve the desired results. Our joint work with Kostya is for the benefit of the team.
— Which teammates do you have a close relationship with?
— I communicate very well with all the players of the club. They help me adapt. Most of all I communicate with Luka, Moumi, Eli, Louis and Osprey. But I would like to emphasize once again that relations with all partners have been very good. I am grateful to them for such a warm welcome.
— How do you cope with the language barrier, because few people speak French in the team?
— Football players have a universal language. We understand each other very well. After all, there are translator programs in the phone. Plus, thanks to our translator Artem for his help. He is always ready to come up and help in the conversation.
— Do you have any plans to study Russian?
— Of course, it is in the plans. I will start learning Russian in the near future.
— At Dynamo you were presented with a video based on the science fiction film Dune. What kind of films do you prefer?
— I prefer to watch TV shows more than movies. For example, I love "Escape", "Vikings" and many other things.
— Your surname means "talented" in Arabic. What is your talent, besides football, can you highlight?
— A rather difficult question for a person who is completely immersed in football. I like to take pictures and I do it quite well (smiles). I like to make beautiful shots, which can then be shared on social networks.
— What is your football dream?
— My main dream is to become the best striker in Morocco in terms of the number of goals scored and assists.