In an interview with L’Équipe this weekend, former PSG full-back and Belgian international Thomas Meunier talked about the shift in style at his new club Borussia Dortmund, explaining “we are very far from bling-bling” and the differences between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland having one of the few to have played with both forwards.
A year and a half after leaving PSG, have you found what you came to Dortmund for?It’s what I needed – a super professional club, top 10 in Europe, fighting for the Bundesliga – but it’s also a new environment, a culture closer to Belgium. The mentality is great too, we’re very far from bling-bling. When you make a mistake, you’re reminded that you’re in a working-class town. Here, we don’t treat people as consumers. So I’m going back to my roots a little. When I was at Virton in the Belgian third division, it was a similar style.
You’re one of the few to have played with both Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. Do they have anything in common?They’re not the same style at all. They’re all-around athletes, not just footballers, so there are common characteristics. They have incredible speed, can jump really high, have good stamina, and can use both feet but, technically, I think Mbappé is stronger but Haaland, physically, remains a true number nine. He’s not a guy you can put in at 7 or 11, he’s a pure goalscorer.
Which of the two would have the edge?They’re both super good, but Kylian has something extra. He makes you think of the Brazilian Ronaldo or Thierry Henry, he has that same instinct of the greatest players which could make him a legend in football. Erling will also become a very, very great player. The difference, I believe, is that he’ll always need the collective to achieve things, whereas Kylian is essential. We’ve seen it this year at PSG, if you remove Kylian from the team they’re not the same. Kylian saves Paris, he alone makes the difference.