Thomas Meunier Opens Up About His National Team Selection and Transfer Journey

Thomas, how are you experiencing this gathering?

“I am really happy. My wife called me when Domenico Tedesco announced that I was on the list; people at the club congratulated me as if it was my first selection (laughs). Being taken over by the Devils is the Holy Grail for me. The fact of having been selected during the first meeting with the new coach despite all the changes that were being made, was an argument to convince me that I was on the right path. The year of waiting was long. I wanted to come back as quickly as possible but to do that I had to play matches and avoid injuries. This second point has been a big problem in the past. Signing for Trabzonspor (Editor’s note: until June 2025) this winter was a profitable change. Everything is going wonderfully. Domenico Tedesco was always up to date behind the scenes and guided me in my choices.”

Did he intervene in your transfer?

“For a very long time, my only idea has been to be in the national team. To achieve this while playing in a second-tier championship like Turkey, I knew I had to do more than just play. Otherwise, I would have gone to German D2 or Virton and the matter was settled (laughs). I needed guidance to know which choice could penalize me and which choice could make me hope to return to the Devils. Clubs even called the coach directly to find out about me. Indirectly, he was put in the loop and I did not hesitate to consult him. He wanted me to play in a competitive team, so that I could highlight my qualities. I didn’t have 40 options.”

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I’m 32 but I feel like I’m sixteen.

Which ones were on the table?

“Four clubs which were concrete. All in the top 5 of their championship and three who were still competing in the European Cup at the time. There were also more exotic teams but that was not my ambition. I’m 32 but I feel like I’m sixteen. I run thirteen kilometers per match and I have never felt weakened by my age. When it came to fruition with Trabzonspor, I spoke about it with Tedesco and Vercauteren. I needed their approval so as not to shoot myself in the foot. ”

Why didn’t you try to complete your contract at Dortmund in June?

“I could write a book about everything I experienced in Dortmund. But I promised my wife to be calm and positive. So, I refrain from saying more (laughs). It just didn’t work anymore. And if I played a few matches, it was only because Ryerson (Editor’s note: his competitor) was injured. In January, when I hadn’t played for a year, Dortmund blocked offers because of Ryerson’s rehabilitation. The managers wanted to keep me because I was a good backup. And when they understood that it would go for Ryerson, they changed their tune by saying that I could leave and that I would not be on the list to play in the Champions League. Their choice lacked neutrality. The options came to the table after February 1 and there weren’t many countries left. ”

Meunier hopes to get some playing time during the two upcoming friendlies.

The coach’s investment in your transfer shows that he is counting on you for the Euro…

“We’re not going to get too far ahead of ourselves. The timing of my return is very good but I have nothing to impose. I’m here to do the job and take a few minutes of play. Tedesco’s way of doing things is linked to its human management. He has a modern approach. He calls every day, goes to see the players at the stadium or at their homes for a coffee.”

His management was singled out by Thibaut Courtois and Axel Witsel…

“Everyone accepts the communication or not. But I have little information on that.”

The Courtois affair? The coach has not returned his jacket.

What is your opinion on the Courtois affair?

“The coach’s position is clear. Hats off to him for not turning his coat around. For the rest, it’s a problem between the coach and Thibaut.”

How do you explain that he leaves the door open for Toby Alderweireld when he closed it for Axel Witsel?

“You have to do according to what the coach wants. And when you announce that you are stopping the national team, it seems a little complicated to me to go back. We must not act out of opportunism.”

Do you feel like you’re in a new position, having to convince even though you’ve been a senior member of the team for the past eight years?

“Everyone always has to prove. When I see that Ronaldo is scoring hat-tricks and people are still saying that he left for Saudi Arabia because he no longer had the level… The national team is not given to anyone. There are players like De Bruyne or Lukaku who have that extra something and who can afford to play a little less because they are essential to the development and survival of the national team. But, for everyone else, we have to fight every day.”

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The young people, they play with Meunier, ex-PSG, but they don’t care. It’s good. I hope that one day they will be at Neymar’s level.

What do you think of this young generation of Devils?

“What impressed me: their ease of adaptation. They play with a lot of carelessness and quality. They are all in very high level clubs. We fall back into the pattern of the beginnings of the golden generation with guys who obtain transfers to big clubs. The average level of the team is very high. Most players, despite their young age, have no stress. Take Bakayoko. He came to training to tell me: ‘stand there, stand there’. I told him I knew where to stand (laughs). But it makes me happy to see them so engaged. They play with Meunier, 32 years old and formerly of PSG, and they don’t care. It’s good. ”

Two notable absentees from Red Devils training this Thursday

Isn’t it too hard to play against profiles like those of Doku or Bakayoko?

“No. I have never had my legs tremble when facing a player. In my mind, the best player in the world has always been Neymar. He’s the only one who could make me fear something. I hope our young people will reach his level but that is not the case yet. ”

Can Belgium be European champion?

“The quality is there and we should not underestimate it. I’m not saying we’re going to win the Euro but I don’t see us coming out of the group stage.”

Thomas Meunier recounts the huge fight between Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe: “Michy Batshuayi wanted to show that he did Thai boxing”
2024-03-21 12:00:00
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