‘They demand more effort in training and matches’ – Elye Wahi compares Bundesliga to Ligue 1 | OneFootball

Elye Wahi (22) has given his first impressions on the differences between football in the Bundesliga compared to Ligue 1 in an interview with L’Équipe.

The young striker joined the Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt during the winter transfer window after he was sold by Olympique de Marseille only six months on from his arrival at the French club.

Previous to his short stint in Marseille where he registered three goals and one assist in 14 games, Wahi had plyed his trade at RC Lens for a season and before that with his formative club Montpellier HSC who provided him with his debut in a match against FC Metz.

Four clubs in three seasons have given Wahi a broad breadth of experience at a tender age, and talking to L’Équipe he spoke about the culture shock of experiencing German football. “It’s very fast,” he laughed. “There’s more space so it’s better for the attackers, especially for me because I’m quite fast and can get deep.”

He also added that the differences were not limited to just games, “Even in training it’s completely different. The coach wants us to constantly run and press. It’s a different mentality – it’s no longer the French mentality, I’m learning.”

Asked to explain what the German mentality is, Wahi stated, “They demand more effort in training or matches. You have to be constantly focused. That’s the hallmark of the big leagues. I’m not saying it’s superior to France, but it’s different.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland