Former Paris Saint-Germain striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting spoke with SportBild where he discussed the process of joining FC Bayern Munich, his tenure with Les Parisiens, and having Neymar Jr. as a teammate.
One of the first questions that the German media outlet asked about was over the process of deciding to join Bayern Munich. After his contract with the capital club ran out, the 31-year-old kept his options open. Once the biggest club in Germany came calling, it was an easy decision for Choupo-Moting despite PSG wanting to extend him.
“Paris wanted to extend with me. I was happy there. But I always kept my eye on Germany and also checked out the top clubs to see if there was a place for me there. Then my advisor got in touch with Bavaria,” Choupo-Moting said.
“After Hasan Salihamidzic contacted me and I spoke to Hansi Flick, it was clear: I want to do that! It is a huge honor to play for the largest club in Germany as a Hamburg boy. Munich is a super city. In terms of career, that was a mega important step.”
Then Choupo-Moting discussed the differences between the locker rooms of Bayern Munich and PSG.
“In Paris, I mostly spoke Spanish with the boys. That is probably the biggest difference. At Bayern, I’m actually fully integrated after such a short time,” Choupo-Moting said.
Often, Neymar gets painted with a bad brush by pundits and supporters of different clubs who don’t know him. Choupo-Moting explained what it’s like being a teammate of the Brazil international.
“A lot is said about Neymar, but I never felt any starry in him. He’s a great guy,” Choupo-Moting said. “This also applies to the other top-class players: Kylian Mbappé, Edinson Cavani, or Thiago Silva. Of course, it is sometimes difficult for Neymar or Mbappé because they are so in focus; each of them wants autographs as soon as they appear somewhere. In my private life, I got on really well with them. We also did a lot together as a team.”
Finally, the Cameroon international provided an example of how close the team was during his time with the capital club. He stated a time when his teammates came over to his son’s birthday, even those who don’t have any children.
“Like in a normal job, between colleagues who have a good relationship. Many players in Paris have children. When we celebrated our son’s birthday, almost the whole team came—for example, Edinson Cavani or Mbappé, who has no child at all,” Choupo-Moting said.
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