Bilal El Khannouss has been with VfB for around three months now. He has settled in quickly – to the city, the team and the club. His style of play has already won the fans over, and the 21-year-old is also a popular figure off the pitch. The summer signing gave us an interview and spoke about how he’s finding life in Stuttgart, the season so far and Saturday’s hotly anticipated clash with Bayern Munich at the MHP Arena.
Hello Bilal. When we see you come to the ground before matches, you’re often wearing headphones. How important is music to you as a pro footballer?
Bilal: “I listen to music – sometimes to relax, sometimes to focus but often just for pleasure. It’s not that music plays a huge role in my life – it’s just a part of it. I like listening to French songs the most.”
We’re curious: what kind of music gets played in the changing rooms?
Bilal: “Jamie Leweling tends to choose the music. He often puts on English and German songs, but he always has some French music on his playlist as well. He strikes a good balance – he’s doing his job pretty well (laughs).”
You came to Stuttgart on the last day of the summer transfer window. How have you settled in since then?
Bilal: “I’ve settled in really well and actually surprised myself at how quickly it’s all happened. We have a very welcoming group. Each of my team-mates made it easy for me to settle in here in Stuttgart. Some of the players also speak French, which really helped me in the first few weeks. This meant that I hit it off straight away with Dan-Axel Zagadou, Jeff Chabot, Lorenz Assignon, Ameen Al-Dakhil, Silas and also Badredine Bouanani, who I’ve already done stuff with off the pitch. If we’re going to continue to be successful this season, this is exactly the kind of camaraderie that we need.”
Bilal El Khannouss, Offensivakteur des VfB:
There must be a plan behind every move. Just ‘playing well’ isn’t enough.
You’ve been an important part of VfB’s season right from the off. How do you explain that?
Bilal: “The way I see it, part of that comes from the way the team plays. We look to find solutions on the ball, create chances together and we like to be in possession. That suits me and helps me contribute to our success. The coaching staff also made my role very clear to me. And then there’s my personality – I never back down from a challenge. I stick my hand up and say I’m ready to get stuck in. In this respect, it’s been a good fit.”
Do you know the English term ‘baller’?
Bilal: “Yes, I have heard of that, and we’ve certainly got a few guys in the team who are really good on the ball.”
How much are you the kind of player who’s a ‘baller’, making the high-risk moves?
Bilal: “First and foremost, I try to enjoy the game, and the fans should also enjoy it when we’re out there on the pitch battling for a win. I love playing in front of exceptional fans like in Stuttgart, but the truth is, this is 2025. Those who play in my position aren’t judged on how skilful they are, but on stats and above all on the added value they bring to the team. What counts are assists, goals and getting wins as a team. There must be a plan behind every move. Just ‘playing well’ isn’t enough and hasn’t been for quite some time now.”
How do you rate your season so far in the Bundesliga?
Bilal: “We’ve been doing pretty well so far and we’re in the mix. The Bundesliga table is tightly bunched around the European spots, and it’s important for us to be in that group. We need to carry on getting points on a consistent basis to consolidate our position.”
Saturday sees Bayern Munich come to the MHP Arena, supposedly the toughest opponents in the league. What kind of contest are you expecting?
Bilal: “It’s a big match against a big club – one that’s famous the world over. We respect Bayern but we’re not going to be in awe of them. At the end of the day, it’s 11 against 11, like in any other match. We want to show that we’re capable of mixing it with a big team like that and we can’t wait to see how we measure up to Bayern. And of course, we’re playing at home with our fans behind us.”
