‘I see myself as a creative. I don’t consider myself an artist’ – Michael Olise gives his thoughts on the beautiful game | OneFootball

Despite captain Kylian Mbappé breaking France’s goalscoring record in les Bleus‘ World Cup opener against Senegal, it is team-mate Michael Olise who is attracting a large share of the plaudits with his man-of-the-match performance in the same match, to follow up his hat-trick against Northern Ireland in France’s final warm-up. Shortly before flying to the US, Olise (24) broke his famously studied silence to give an interview to L’Équipe.

Olise has become a walking meme machine in the early stages of the tournament, whether it is clips of his exploits for FC Bayern and for France or his resistance to team-mates’ attempts to get him to join in celebrations – or even to smile! He confirmed that “I prefer to let my feet do the talking” and clearly feels that it is on the pitch where he can best express himself. Sometimes, watching him in pre-match warm-ups, shuffling his feet on the surface and then taking a ball and moving away from his team-mates, it seems that he is more comfortable communing with the ball than other humans. “I think I just like taking the ball and feeling it before really beginning to play. Yes, it’s important for me to feel the ball in my hand or at my feet. I usually do a few juggles just to see how the pitch feels to me, a few passes into the advertising hoardings, that kind of thing“.

This leads one to wonder whether he sees football as more than a sport, but art: “Yes, I think football can be art. But I just consider myself as someone creative. I don’t see myself as an artist. Yes, I love it when football is beautiful. I think football is a fantastic sport and so it should be fantastic visually too“.

One of the traits for which Olise has been much complimented this season (a season in which he scored 22 and assisted 29 for Bayern) is his ability to play always with his head up. But he disagrees when it is suggested that this is a new addition to his game: “That’s your opinion and I respect it, but it isn’t mine. I think that I have always played like that. It comes naturally to me and I don’t think that has changed. I gave lots of assists at Crystal Palace“.

Asked about how and where he first learned football – playing in the playground near where he and his younger brother Richard (who is on FC Chelsea’s books), Olise suggests that this where he developed his creative approach to the game: “I think it comes from there. It’s a different type of football but it’s a way to learn. Football in that setting is just freedom. I just took pleasure in playing football. I loved it, basically. Well I think that everyone loves that when they’re young“. 

With professional football inevitably comes tactical considerations, which limit that freedom. So Olise is asked whether he needs that freedom in order to be able to express himself, his reply showing his appreciation of the importance of that more structured side to the game:

“To an extent. But it depends on things like whether you’re in control of the match. I think that football is also about control. Each coach has his own philosophy and then it’s about imposing your style on the match. When everyone knows their role within a structure, it makes my job a little easier too“.

Asked in what position he feels the most comfortable, Olise’s reply is not surprising: “I think it’s as a number 10. It’s a role that is a little freer. I grew up playing at number 10 so for me it comes a little more naturally. Perhaps not at the moment as I’m playing on the wing, but I think it’s what feels most natural to me“.

France’s impressive second half performance against Senegal was triggered by Olise being moved from the wing to the number 10 position, from where he linked up brilliantly with Mbappé. Asked if he agreed with Mbappé’s description of him as ‘the player of the today and of tomorrow’, Olise’s response was typically restrained:

“It’s very nice to hear that, especially from Kylian. When it comes from someone you play with, whom you respect and who has already achieved so much in football, it’s always nice to hear. For the moment I’d say that I’m a player for today. If I keep working hard and keep my feet on the ground, then I hope to become a player of the future“.

GFFN | Jeremy Smith