El-Mehdi Maouhoub: "This is just the beginning, I want and I can score even more."

— It's been two months since you arrived in Russia. Can you say that you've fully adapted to the new country and team?

— The adaptation is going very well. When I arrived, I saw that Dynamo had created all the conditions for the players. I feel very good and am working hard to help the team move forward.

— What surprised you most about Russia?

— There was no surprise. On the contrary, everything is very comfortable and great here! My goal is to play football. The club has all the conditions for this, so all I can do is do what I love.

— The cold is already coming and the first snow has fallen. Arthur admitted that he is a little afraid of the Russian winter. How do you feel about this weather, considering 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 plays in such weather conditions, I will do it too. It doesn't matter what the weather is, I am ready to move towards my goal.

— The fans know a little about you. Tell us about your childhood and where did your love for football come from?

— Morocco is a football country. From the moment I was born, I played football on the streets of Casablanca with other kids. At the age of 10, I got into the football academy of the FUS club, the best in Morocco. I tried to constantly improve and made my debut at the professional level at the age of 16.

— Who was your idol as a child and what team did you support?

— Since childhood, I dreamed of getting into the Raja Casablanca club, and I eventually succeeded. My favorite team outside of Morocco is London's Arsenal. If we talk about an idol from world football, I will name Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

— Your career developed rapidly, and last season, at the age of 20, you won the Moroccan championship and the Cup with Raja Casablanca without a single defeat. You rarely see that. How did you manage to do that?

— Raja Casablanca is a big club. Fans always expect the team players to show good 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 together with Dynamo, sharing it with my current teammates.

— At the World Cup in Qatar, the Moroccan team made a real splash, taking fourth place. Can we say that there is a real football boom in Morocco now?

— Football in Morocco is in the hearts of all the country's residents. We are all fans of football. 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 in my country. This is my goal!

— Success at the World Championship was not an isolated event – ​​this year you won a bronze medal with the national team at the Olympic Games. Could you have fought for gold?

— Of course, Olympic bronze is a great success for us! But I won’t be lying if I say that we came for gold. But that’s how God decreed, so we are happy with the third place, although there was a real chance to reach the final and win gold medals.

— You already knew back then that you were moving to Dynamo. Did you not manage to meet Fabian Balbuena, who played for Paraguay, in France?

— Unfortunately, I didn’t manage 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 team.

— What was the main impression left by participating in the Olympics?

— It was my first major tournament, so it will forever remain in my memory. The pace of the game was quite fast compared to what I had experienced before in my career. I have the best impressions of both the tournament itself and the teams we played against. The competition was held at the highest level.

— After the Olympics, you finally came to Russia. How would you rate the level of the Russian championship?

— Everything is well 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 off very well: in 11 matches, you scored 5 goals and gave 2 assists. Are you completely satisfied with yourself?

— Thank God, the start of my Russian career went well for me. But I feel that this is only the beginning. I want and can score even more goals, help the team achieve its goals.

— Probably, there could have been more points if not for the sending off in the match with Spartak. How would you rate the refereeing in Russia in general?

— In fact, I can only say good things about the refereeing in Russia. However, I did not know certain subtleties and moments that I encountered here. My teammates willingly share advice with me, give me tips. 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 sending off in the derby with Spartak. I continue to learn!

— In the cup match with Krylia, you scored a hat-trick, which Dynamo had not managed for 7 years. Had you ever scored so many 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 are starting in the Cup and our first opponent will be Lokomotiv. What is your attitude towards the upcoming derby?

— I am very happy that we will have to face a big opponent in the playoff match. I am looking forward to this game, since such matches really reveal the players on the field. We will work to get to the next stage.

— You have a memorable goal celebration – tell us about it, what does it symbolize?

— As I already said, I have been a fan of Raja from Casablanca since childhood, and the logo of this team is an eagle. So, from a young age, I celebrated goals scored in the same way. You could say it's already a tradition.

— You play with a bandaged right hand – did you have some kind of injury or is it a style element?

— To be honest, it’s more of a style. Since childhood, I’ve gotten used to playing with a bandaged hand and I can’t imagine myself on the field without this bandage.

— You are a center forward, but in some matches, Marcel sent you to the left side of the attack. Do you feel comfortable there?

— I played as a forward since childhood, but at a professional level I had to play as a center forward and a left winger. Some coaches see me more on the edge of the attack, others – in the center. I feel better at the tip of the attack. But there is a coach. He is the boss and decides where it is best to use me so that I can help the team.

— You are competing for a place in the center of the attack with the best player of the Premier League last season, Konstantin Tyukavin. What can you say about him?

— Kostya is a very good forward, a Dynamo alumnus. We communicate well and work together to help the team achieve the desired results. Our joint work with Kostya is good for the team.

— With which of your teammates have you developed close relationships?

— I communicate very well with all the players of the club. They help me with adaptation. I communicate most with Luka, Moumi, Eli, Luis and Skopa. But I will emphasize once again that the relationships with all the partners have been very good. I am grateful to them for such a warm welcome.

— How do you cope with the language barrier, since few people in the team speak French?

— Football players have a universal language. We understand each other very well. After all, there are translation programs on the phone. Plus, thanks to our translator Artem for his help. He is always ready to come up and help in a conversation.

— Do you plan to learn Russian?

— Of course, I do. I will start learning Russian soon.

— Dynamo presented you with a video based on the science fiction film Dune. What films do you prefer?

— I prefer watching TV series to movies. For example, I like Prison Break, Vikings and many others.

— Your last name in Arabic means "talented." What talent of yours, besides football, can you highlight?

— Quite a difficult question for a person completely immersed in football. I like taking photos and I do it quite well (smiles). I like taking beautiful photos that I can then share on social networks.

— What is your football dream?

— My main dream is to become the best striker in Morocco in terms of goals scored and assists.