TM report from Copenhagen
© Imago
The list of promising talents, which were exposed to high expectations early on and could not withstand it, is long – whether Youssoufa Moukoko will one day belong. The development of the 20-year-old is anything but straightforward, in Copenhagen a new phase of his still young career began in front of a Monast. The outcome is uncertain, our guest author Andreas Cornelsen describes impressions of the first few weeks from on site.
At the end of June, Copenhagen’s sports director Sune Smith-Nielsen spoke of a “very exciting transfer” as part of the announcement of the 5 million euro Moukoko deal and raved about the youngest German World Cup participant as “hungry and with a high technical level”. Nevertheless, the first few weeks for Moukoko were also reserved for a new beginning, because the youngster was not received everywhere in the area of FC Copenhagen.
The Danish specialist press – above all “tipbladet” – was initially skeptical. The French journalist Patrick Juillard has been critically cited several times with a view to the third -tax transfer of the club history in reporting on the newcomer. Juillard hadn’t been tolerated with Moukoko over the past year and in the course of the unsuccessful loan business to the OGC Nice. Doubts about his consistency and mentality also stood in the room in Denmark – not surprisingly, when you consider how often the careers of young talents got stalled at precisely these points.
Nice loan was a letdown for ex-BVB talent Moukoko
Moukoko himself had recently sporty the year in Nice as a failure, but nevertheless commented as instructive: “I felt what it is like to be at the top. I felt the same way to be at the bottom. It was really hard. There were nights when I just pondered, I have to be honest. But it was taught to stay with both legs and not To be arrogant.
The former Dortmund also knows: each chapter begins at zero on the square. And there Moukoko has been able to set the first positive accents in the past few days and weeks. The attacker acted engaged in his starting eleventh in the super league away game against Viborg, but remained lucky. In the Champions League qualification game against KF Drita from Kosovo, he first sat on the bench, which can be interpreted as a clear sign that he has to build up again in terms of sport. But his substitution in the 58th minute was accompanied by the fans with audible special applause – a first small advance of trust by the stands.
What followed was a committed appearance: Moukoko brought energy, was immediately present in the game, only narrowly failed with a degree (60th) and prepared two top -class carpenters exemplary (65/77.). The goal failed to materialize, but the revival of the offensive game was unmistakable. In the end, the well-known icing on the cake was missing, but not the willingness. Also in the following league game against Vejle (2-0) there was a similar picture: Moukoko got more playing time (80 minutes), acted again and prepared the 2-0 (26th). He still lacks the last consequence in the box, but the right way towards the rhythm and flow of the game seems to have struggled.
Moukoko wants to start at FC Copenhagen
“It is important that we won the first games, and of course we want to achieve as many victories as possible, but there will also be adversity this season in which we have to hold together and look ahead,” said Moukoko in an interview published by FC Copenhagen at the weekend and added: “I personally have the feeling that I am making progress both on the training ground and in the game. To hand it over or to stage the others.
He feels “very good”, the ex-BVB talent continued, and wanted to “increase the pace” step by step. The striker is happy about “that the coaches have trust me and have so much patience with me at the beginning.” From a sporting point of view, Moukoko now has important weeks. If Copenhagen insisted against the rather third-class KF Drita as expected, in the next qualification round may not only be waiting with Malmö FF a sporty opponent, but also a explosive duel with a derby character. Only the Öresund Bridge separates both clubs-geographically a neighborhood duel, atmospheric a European Cup highlight.
Especially for a player like Moukoko, who has repeatedly emphasized that they want to show what he is made of on a big stage, are exactly these games test stones. The crucial question remains: Moukoko uses the Copenhagen platform to get back on track in terms of sport, or does it join the list of those who remained greater than the yield? August will provide the first answers. He still brings the facilities with him – now he has to prove himself.
Text: Andreas Cornelsen