Louisa Necib: The mind is a very important aspect
Interview by Charlotte P. for Surface Magazine
When you started playing football, was it a goal of yours to become a professional player?
No, I never dreamed of being a professional football player. I hear my football friends say that when they were young, and they were asked what they wanted to be, they were saying they were going to be football players. For me, it never crossed my mind. I did not even know that girls could play football for a club, so I never thought of it.
Who would be your alter ego in the men’s game in terms of character and/or style of play?
It's too hard to answer this question! You should ask others about me. But the one who inspired me the most, as everyone knows, I have been playing football for ten years since and for ten years I have been repeating, it's Zidane.
You are often compared to him, is that a weight on your shoulders?
No, it is the contrary of a weight on my shoulders, but one wonders why you are being compared to such a player. It is an honor, when I think about how I admired this player and how he was loved in the world of football, I say to myself "wow, it's beautiful."
You have gained a lot of experience with your club and for France, do you think that you are now one of the leaders in the World Cup?
Whether I like it or not, I have a role to play. I've seen it in previous matches. During qualifications, I was always called and entrusted. When this is the case, I really want to give everything and not disappoint. So I hope this will be the case during the World Cup, but then I'm not the type to put myself under any particular pressure. I just want to love, enjoy and give it my best.
Before the Euro, the players also said they had a lot of club experience. What could make this year the right time to win the title?
When you play in such a competition, with knockout matches, it is played on details, and we can not control everything. We have the ambition and the goal to go very far but during a match in this type of competition, it is not always the best team that wins. We have the quality to beat any team, but we know we can be beaten at any time. The mind is a very important aspect.
You think just that you have the mental qualities?
It will be a very important aspect especially during the knockout stages. I hope we will have the mental ability to finish the big matches well when required.
How are things in the French squad?
We know each other very well, both on a personal level and as players. We all want the same thing, everyone has the same goal. I hope we will succeed.
Are you already thinking about the future, after football?
Of course, I think more and more about it but I'm not going to fill my brain with it in the near or far future. Today I play football, I like it, I just want to continue to enjoy it, then we'll see...
