Scoring in front of the Yellow Wall? "Something very special" – Serhou Guirassy in conversation | OneFootball

The record for most goals scored in a Bundesliga match by a single player belongs to 1. FC Köln's Dieter Müllerhe, who netted six times in a match against Werder Bremen in August 1977. The fastest hat-trick was scored by Robert Lewandowski in 2015, with three goals in 202 seconds. Serhou Guirassy also holds a Bundesliga record: he scored a total of 14 goals for VfB Stuttgart in the first eight matchdays of the 2023/24 season - no Lewandowski, no Müller (whether Dieter or Gerd) and no Haaland had managed that before him.

In Dortmund's 6-1 win over Union Berlin, Guirassy scored four goals in a Bundesliga match for the first time, including a flawless hat-trick in eight minutes. Only six players in history have managed to do so in a shorter time period. One of them was a Dortmund player, Norbert Dickel (in the space of six minutes in a 4-0 win over Hannover in September 1988). And Borussia Dortmund's striker also scored a flawless hat-trick in the Guinea national team's 4-1 victory over Ethiopia in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in October 2024.

How satisfied are you personally with your first ten months at BVB?"First of all, I'm very happy to be at a club as big as Borussia Dortmund. My season is going well, I'm one of the top scorers in the Bundesliga and also in the Champions League. But you can always improve."

Your goal tally in the Champions League is particularly impressive!"It's very good. But it's no surprise to me. I know that I can be a very good goalscorer. This year I'm proving that in a major competition. I have to continue in this vein and become even more efficient."

How much do you love scoring goals?"I can't say exactly. But I love scoring goals, like all strikers. It's a really intense feeling."

How does it feel to score in front of the yellow wall?"It's something very special. I don't know if I ever did it as an opponent, but now to do so wearing the yellow jersey is really special."

And how much do you hate losing?"I have a winning mentality - I always want to win. I grew up with it. Of course, it's not always possible, but you have to work for every chance. And if we don't win, I'm very unhappy - the team are too, but me with my mentality very much so."

If you look at the names of the leading goalscorers in the Champions League: Lewandowski, Haaland and Ousmane Dembélé also have a history with Dortmund. Did you keep track of these players during their time at BVB?"I feel like Dortmund have always had good strikers. And of course I watched them, even when I wasn't at Dortmund. Dortmund are a club that everyone knows. If you watch the Bundesliga, you automatically remember these players."

Did you think back then that you could one day be the successor to Lewandowski, Dembélé or Haaland?"No, I hadn't thought about wearing the Dortmund jersey. Of course, it always depends on your career plan. I could also have gone to Spain or England."

Serhou Yadaly Guirassy was born on 12 March 1996 in Arles in the south of France and grew up in Montargis in the Centre-Val de Loire region in the north of the country. The son of Guinean parents, he began playing football at the age of six, but it was not until he was 14 years old that his talent really caught the eye. After playing for Stade Laval and AJ Auxerre in France's second tier, the then 20-year-old moved to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2016, joining 1. FC Köln. However, he only made six appearances as a substitute in his debut season due to injury. Guirassy returned to France and his career really took off at Ligue 1 clubs SC Amiens (38 appearances, 13 goals) and Stade Rennes (81 appearances, 25 goals).

He returned to the Bundesliga in September 2022 and signed for VfB Stuttgart on the last day of the transfer window. He was a vital factor in the relegation battle, scoring once every two games across his first 22 Bundesliga appearances and also finding the net and providing an assist in the relegation play-off against Hamburger SV. In May 2023, his club converted the loan into a permanent deal. In the following season, he scored 17 goals in 14 appearances in the first half of the season and played a major role in Stuttgart finishing the 2023/24 season as runners-up. In 58 competitive appearances for VfB, Guirassy notched up an outstanding 49 scorer points (44 goals, five assists). In July 2024, he moved to Borussia Dortmund and signed a contract until 30 June 2028.

You not only scored 13 goals, but also provided seven assists in the Champions League, which equates to 20 scorer points. Statistically, it's the best ever season by an African player in the Champions League!"It makes me proud, because there have been many great African players, like Didier Drogba to name but one. I have always worked to be among the best. And I'm still working at it. It's nice to be the top scorer in the Champions League. There are some very good players there. Being first shows I'm a good striker. But on my own, without the team, I can't do it. It's a shame that our journey in the competition ended against Barcelona."

The season ends in mid-May. The Club World Cup starts in mid-June. At least Guinea don't have any World Cup qualifiers or friendlies in June. Are you pleased that you'll at least be able to recover for a few days?"We're coming off a long season with lots of games: Bundesliga, Champions League, national team ... You have to think about the players' health. Because with so many games, the risk of injury is higher. But that's the way it is."

The tournament has never been held in this format before. How do you view the Club World Cup? How excited are you for this new world championship for club teams?"It's the first time. It's very exciting. A new competition. Another title that you can win. With big teams. It will be a first for everyone, something very special. The Club World Cup is unique. We have the chance to be the first to experience it."

What are your goals for the USA?‘’It will be tough, because there are a lot of top teams. Every club that takes part wants to win! And of course we have that goal too."

Back to the national team. You were born in France, played for France's youth teams until 2015, but then decided in favour of Guinea, the home country of your parents. What were the reasons for this?"I was approached by Guinea early on, but I turned them down at first, because I didn't feel ready. But as I've often said, it proved to be one of the best decisions of my career."

What does it mean to you and your family to play for Guinea?"It's a huge source of pride. I received an incredible welcome when I went to the country for the first time as an international player.. I'll never forget that. It's something very special to wear the colours of your country."

Back when you were a young boy in Arles, it didn't seem like Serhou Guirassy would become one of the best footballers in the world. Is it true that you didn't enjoy your first training session at a football club at all?"Yes, that's true. I went to one training session and I didn't enjoy it. I didn't play for a long time after that and only picked it up again later."

So how did you end up enjoying football after all?"I played with friends on the street, that's the best thing about being a child : no pressure, just having fun. And that's how I discovered the joy of playing . When I started playing, my goal was immediately clear: to become a pro."

You grew up with seven siblings - three brothers and four sisters - and have three children of your own. Family comes first for you!"Yes, definitely. There are many moments together, which is very nice. For me, family always comes first."

What does a family celebration look like for the Guirassys?"There's always a lot going on: siblings, nephews - everyone comes. A big party with lots of food."

Who cooks?"That depends. We have a lot of good cooks. And there's everything: African, European - we can do it all."

You are a devout Muslim - was Ramadan difficult for you on a physical level?"Not for me. Maybe for other players, but I'm used to it. For me, it's more of a strength than a weakness."

Discipline is very important to you. If everyone in the dressing room adopted a similar mentality, would it help Borussia Dortmund get back to the top?"As I've said, we as players are the key figures. The biggest strength you can have is a team where everyone is 100% committed to achieving their goals."