Mbappé recalls first meeting Hakimi, who didn’t understand French
The podcast revelation
During a recent podcast, Kylian Mbappé recounted a humorous behind‑the‑scenes moment with his former Paris Saint‑Germain teammate Achraf Hakimi. The French star explained how the Moroccan international arrived at PSG without speaking a single word of French.
Language barrier and first impressions
Mbappé said, “I’d never met a Moroccan born in Spain before (laughs). Before meeting him, I couldn’t have imagined it.” He added that Hakimi looked puzzled when he greeted him, prompting the presenter to ask if he understood anything.
“No, nothing at all.” – Hakimi’s reply to the host’s question.
Team integration on Pochettino’s advice
According to the forward, manager Pochettino told him, “Listen, Hakimi is your age, you’ll get on well, try to integrate him into the team.” Mbappé replied that he would help and later approached Hakimi with a warm welcome.
- Hakimi’s first words to the team: “Welcome to Paris Saint‑Germain… How are you? If you need anything, I’m here.”
- Mbappé, now a Real Madrid forward, recalled mimicking Hakimi’s confused look, which made the studio laugh.
- The anecdote highlights the cultural and language challenges new signings can face.
