Ex-BVB talent Moukoko on his lowest point: "I cried" | OneFootball

After his difficult departure from Borussia Dortmund, Youssoufa Moukoko struggled with rumors and setbacks. Now he openly shares how he found himself again in Copenhagen.

At just 20 years old, Youssoufa Moukoko looks back on an extraordinary but also turbulent career. The former wonderkid from Borussia Dortmund still holds the records as the youngest Bundesliga player, youngest Bundesliga scorer, and youngest World Cup player in DFB history. Nevertheless, the striker couldn't consistently meet the enormous expectations in Dortmund.

After a challenging period, Moukoko initially moved on loan to OGC Nice, where he wasn't even part of the squad at times. In the summer of 2025, he finally decided to make a fresh start in Denmark with FC Copenhagen. About his move, he said in an interview with the TV channel TV2: "Copenhagen is a beautiful city and the team plays really well."

The start in Copenhagen wasn't easy either. Coach Jacob Neestrup supported him during this phase: "I always felt his trust, but at the beginning, it wasn't easy for me," said Moukoko. He has now settled in: In the last four games, he scored three goals for his new club.

Challenging Times for Former BVB Star Moukoko

In addition to sporting challenges, Moukoko also had to endure personal crises. Rumors about an alleged forgery of his birth certificate circulated repeatedly. Speaking openly about these challenging times, he says: "I think it surprised me how many people do everything to get attention. Some people are incredibly greedy. Maybe one day I'll make my own documentary."

It was more difficult for him to cope when things didn't go well on the field. "I used to cry and think: 'How do I get out of here?' and 'When will it get better?' Many might just say: 'Everything is fine' when they've gone through tough times. But I want to speak out loud about it. Sometimes you have to learn to ask for help."

Moukoko doesn't hide the fact that he now seeks help. Once a week, he talks for two hours with a sports psychologist he has been working with for several years. "If you had told me this earlier, I would have replied: 'I'm not sick,' but now I would actually recommend it to everyone. I used to bottle everything up and was very cautious when it came to saying how I really felt."

Despite the setbacks, Moukoko now seems to have found his footing both on and off the field.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.