French Football Weekly: You’ve been playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga for 3 years now, are you satisfied with your choice to join Germany?
Franck Honorat : I was in my comfort zone in Brest, but I think I had taken on a hundred dimensions and it was time to go to France or elsewhere. I had friends who were in Germany, like Joshua Ghilavoghi and Jérôme Roussillon. They told me that it was a championship that was made for me, that there was a lot of space, that there was intensity and that, given that I was fast, it was a championship where I was going to have fun. I am someone who doesn’t like to stay too much, too much in my comfort zone, who likes new challenges. So, with my wife, we said we had a new language, a new country, a new culture, etc. It could be good and it could add a little pep to our lives.
FM: what was the trigger for extending the term at the club until June 2029?
F.H. : it was a reward compared to my good first two years. I felt good there and everyone was a winner by extending the contract, whether it was the club or me. I had other requests, but they blocked the door, they were not open to any discussion. I said to myself that I had years of contract left, there was no point in worrying or going to battle because I feel good here. They welcomed me, they trusted me.
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“Ligue 1 is more tactical, but less pleasant to watch than the Bundesliga”
FM: what is the biggest difference between football culture in Germany and France?
F.H. : there are a lot more supporters here who come to see the matches. At home the stadium is full whether we play against the first or the last, there are 55,000 people all the time. The atmosphere is crazy. I went to see a match in Düsseldorf in the second division, 45,000 people, the stadium was full. Afterwards, it’s certain that you also have good atmospheres in France but here it’s family. When you come, you know there’s not going to be any trouble. My wife comes with the children. You have a children’s playroom with seating for them outside. You have nannies, meals for the children. Everything is done to make people go to the stadium and feel good, no matter who you are.
FM: you have played more than 130 Ligue 1 matches and around sixty Bundesliga matches, for you what are the biggest differences between the two championships?
F.H. : the big difference is that there is a lot more space in Germany. A lot of people say that the defenders are weaker, that there are too many goals, but it’s just that there is a lot more intensity. In Brest, when I had the ball, I had time to check, to raise my head, to make a pass. In Germany you don’t have time. You have two or three players chasing you, you don’t understand where it comes from. Once, I saw our full-back press the opposing goalkeeper. You can never see that in France. In Ligue 1, the teams are more united. Up to a certain part of the field, you have time to check, to look, to raise your head. My first match here, we won 3-0 in the 35th minute of the match. And at the end of the match, 4-4. You’re losing your mind. In France at 3-0, the defender will make a big clearance in the next apartments. In Germany, the player wants to pass or attempt a dribble. He thinks it’s 0-0. In Germany, it still wants to play. I think the stadiums are full because there is a show too. It’s rare to see a 0-0 in Germany. Ligue 1 is more tactical, but less pleasant to watch than the Bundesliga.
FM: Is your profile perfectly suited to this particular championship?
F.H. : obviously, because it’s an open championship, it plays on the counter-attack. There are a lot of chances in a match, whether on one side or the other. It’s a game for me, there are a lot of situations. You enjoy it because you cross more, you shoot more on goal and as a player, it’s cool. Afterwards, just because there is more space doesn’t mean it’s easy, I run a lot. When you have the ball and you have run for 80 meters and you have to do it again 60 meters to attack. You have to know how to stay lucid. Ok, you have spaces, but if you don’t have the lucidity to make the right pass at the last moment, it’s going to be complicated.
FM: you seem to be one of the leaders of this team on the pitch due to your performances and your status, what role do you have in the collective?
F.H. : I always told them, if you want me to be a leader, don’t count on me, I’m not going to shout at everyone in the locker room, I’m not going to speak up. When I have an affinity with the players, I like to chat one-on-one. We also have quite a few young people here, I like talking to them. You’re going to say a word or something to a young person, he’ll be so happy. For example, you’re going to tell him, I like it when you continue what you’re doing. For you, it’s nothing, but for him, it’s going to be something important. I will try to say things to him to give him confidence, to make him feel good.
FM: You are having a somewhat complicated season with a 12th place in the Bundesliga. There are 9 league matches left, what are your ambitions for the end of the season?
F.H. : our ambition is just to maintain ourselves. This year, there has been a lot of renewal, a new coach, new players, young players. The goal is to maintain and then take a breath, and see what will happen next year. There is nothing left to look for there. Everything is far away. Anyway, I think it’s been the same thing for three years. The first two years again, it wasn’t crazy either, but it was okay. This year, it’s hot, I really think that the objective is just to maintain.
“The Germans say that the French are always at the last minute. »
FM: How are French players who play in the Bundesliga perceived in your opinion?
F.H. : they like our mentality, we work on the field and then outside, we have this joy of living. They just say that the French are always at the last minute. For a meeting at 2 p.m. on video, they are there 15 minutes before. I come at 58, 59, calmly and they say that we are always at the last minute. But afterwards, I think they are happy because we have a good mentality and that’s what counts.
FM: you knew several French players at Monchengladbach but one stands out Manu Koné, what do you think of his rise in the club and in the Blues?
F.H. : when we saw him in training or in matches, we saw that he had this power, this technical quality. Just what slowed him down a little was his injuries. You already felt that he had room to improve to do something. From there to being in the French team, it went very quickly. And what’s more, he played his matches and stayed.
FM: Is a return to France, to Ligue 1, possible before the end of your career? Does another championship appeal to you?
F.H. : frankly, I’m happy in Germany, I’m not going to lie to you. Afterwards, you never know what tomorrow brings. I did my seasons, I saw a bit of everything. If I do three crazy months and a club in the Champions League or the Europa League comes, why not, it would be the dream for me to play in a European competition. Otherwise, I’m not going to lie to you, I miss the sun. Just a good quality of life where I can walk around peacefully with my children, enjoy life and everything, get a little sun, I think.
“Kingsley Coman is the one who shocked me the most”
FM: you played a few matches in the youth categories with the French team. Which players impressed you the most with their talent?
F.H. : Kingsley Coman is the one who shocked me the most. Afterwards, there was another one, a little one, Lyes Houri. He came from Valenciennes. Very small, very thin, no muscles. Too crazy technical, he made everyone miserable. I think he had a few matches like that here and there in lesser known countries. So, sometimes there are players who shock you, you tell yourself that they are too strong and in the end, they don’t break through at the very high European level.
FM: do you think the Blues are capable of winning the World Cup this summer? How would you react if there is France-Germany?
F.H. : that would be magnificent. In any case, I wish it. They have the players to do something this summer. If there is France-Germany, I will be there to humor my teammates. Sometimes I tell them that this is no longer the Germany of the past. Before, you were too strong, but now it’s different. They tell me “wait, this World Cup, you’ll see” but I tell them “you’ll see it”. It’s good natured, it’s for fun, it’s part of life in a locker room.
