Tarik Elyounoussi: "It’s breathtaking"

Tarik, I assume you’ve already spent some time here in Norway this summer during your holidays?

Tarik Elyounoussi: First I was in Morocco with my family. Then we had planned to go to Mexico but I was called up by the national team – that change in our plans wasn’t a problem for me though! I was in Rome after that, which I really enjoyed, and then eventually made it home to Norway. Fredrikstad is where I‘m at home; I always feel very happy there.

You’ve already faced one of your old sides in the form of Lilleström and you’ll be doing the same against Fredrikstad. Are these particularly special games for you?

Elyounoussi: Absolutely. I was only at Lilleström for a few months, but I had a good time there. As I said, Fredrikstad is my home, it’s my club. I learnt my trade there and looked up to the first team for twelve years before I then made the jump up to their level myself. The club will always have a place in my heart and I have many friends there who’ll come along to watch the game. I’m looking forward to the friendly; it’s a nice way to end our time in Norway.

You’re obviously a Norway expert. Can you give us an idea of something typically Norwegian?

Elyounoussi: Here all we talk about is the weather. When the sun is shining, everyone spends all their time outside. We really enjoy that, and everyone is happy. Lots of Norwegians have a summer home and some even also have a second one for the winter – somewhere to go to rest and relax, to unwind, to be with friends. That’s Norway.

Can you give TSG fans any holiday tips?

Elyounoussi: The best thing is to be outside. The landscape and nature is breathtaking. The fjords, the sea, the mountains – you ought to go hiking here, or maybe sailing. It becomes even more like a dreamland when you head north. When I lived here, I played in Sogndal a couple of times and it’s incredibly beautiful there. The stadium is right in the middle of the mountains – it’s crazy.

Back to football – how big is sport in Norway?

Elyounoussi: Obviously we have a lot of successful sportsmen in winter sports – skiing, biathlon and things like that, but football is, in terms of participation, the number one sport. Lots of kids play football. Everyone watches the national team play, and when our teams have success in Europe it’s a really big deal. But of course, when it snows, everyone then goes crazy for winter sports again.

Are you excited to get back to playing in the Bundesliga?

Elyounoussi: Obviously, but I’m also quite tired. We’ve been training a lot, and it has been of a really high intensity. I need to look after my body and give everything in each training session. But that’s why we work so hard – to experience playing in front of a packed stadium in the Bundesliga. It’s what I live for as a footballer – for those big games, for the excitement, for competitive football.

Your start to the season isn’t exactly easy...

Elyounoussi: That’s true, but when we play against 1860 in the cup, we won’t be thinking about Leverkusen or Bayern. It’s important that we take it one game at a time. This start can also be a positive thing for us – we get right into the thick of things and we know we need to be fully concentrated. I’m looking forward to it. And that’s part of life in the Bundesliga – there’s no such thing as an easy game.