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Achraf Hakimi has been something of a revelation for Borussia Dortmund fans. The young Moroccan fullback has provided the Germans with a newfound sense of energy and athleticism on the right AND the left, helping propel the Yellow and Black to the top of the Bundesliga table.

In an interview with BVB Matchday Magazine, Achraf talks about his adjustment to life in a new country and explains why he decided to move to Dortmund.

Highlights From The Interview

You came here half a year ago? What can you tell us about this time? (1:46)

Achraf: “I’m very happy to play for Dortmund. It was difficult for me to adjust because I came from another country and from another language, so I had to adjust and do all this stuff. The truth is that it was a difficult process, but now I’m very content and happy.

Why did you want to go to another country? (2:16)

Achraf: “I grew up in all the Real Madrid youth teams and the truth is that it has been a difficult process, and I needed a change in my personal and footballing life. I needed to grow as a footballer with a lot more minutes and to achieve big things in my career, and it was the right moment to do it. Currently everything is going great and I hope it continues for much longer.”

You became a football player at Real Madrid, where winning is part of the club’s self-conception. Did you bring that self-confidence with you to Dortmund? (7:47)

Achraf: “Yes, I am always a winner, I am always very competitive. I know that Madrid is a club that inculcates this into you. But, always in my life, even with my friends, when I play on the Playstation or whatever, I always hate to lose and I get really upset. So, also in my personal life, I like to be a winner and be competitive.”

What are the differences between La Liga and the Bundesliga? If there are any, what is the biggest one? (8:35)

Achraf: “In the Spanish league, you play a little more of a possession game. But here, I believe that some teams also try to have the ball. But I believe that the difference here is that they play more back and forth. In Spain, you play with a little bit more control of the ball.”

What’s typically Spanish and what’s typically Moroccan about you? (9:10)

Achraf: “What’s typically Moroccan about me, is my religion and all the food my mom always cooked when I was young. What’s typically Spanish about me... are my friends and that I grew up in Spain and that I know a little bit about the Spanish life.”