Koné: “Proud and happy to be at Borussia!”

Kouadio Koné will join up with the Foals to prepare for the 2021/22 season after his loan spell at Toulouse FC comes to an end on 30th June 2021. Borussia’s new signing sat down to discuss his decision to join the club, his first impressions and his goals.

Welcome to Borussia, Kouadio! How long have you been in contact with Gladbach about the move?

Koné: First of all, I’d like to say how happy I am to be here. I’ve been in contact with Borussia since last summer and it became concrete this winter. The club have been following my progress for a lot longer than that though, and they have always given me the impression that they knew me well as a player. I think the management have watched a lot of my games! The fact that Borussia have now made the decision to bring me to Mönchengladbach makes me very proud and happy.

What were the decisive factors in your decision to join the Foals?

Koné: I've been interested in joining Borussia from the start in order to take the next step in my career. It's clear that this is a club where I can really develop my game and I'm keen to learn. I think that I’ll be able to progress well here and take it to the next level.

How much did you know about Borussia beforehand? Have you spoken to any of the French-speaking players?

Koné: I knew the club already of course and I've watched almost all of the games this season. Borussia are one of the top teams in the Bundesliga after all. I also know a bit about the French-speaking players here already, like Alassane Plea and Marcus Thuram.

Have you been in contact with either of them about your move here?

Koné: No I haven't, but I know Marcus Thuram’s brother very well from our time together in the youth teams at Clairefontaine. We played together there for a long time, so I know the family a bit. I'm hoping that I can integrate well here and achieve a lot of success with the team.

What are your first impressions of the club and of BORUSSIA-PARK? You were in the stadium on Tuesday to watch our win over Werder Bremen, right?

Koné: BORUSSIA-PARK is a big stadium and it’s very impressive! I felt that it was a big shame that there were no spectators in for the game against Bremen. I can imagine that it's a great spectacle to play for Borussia in front of all of the fans here. The other thing that I found impressive was that everyone at the club has been so friendly and has met me with a smile. Everyone's happy to help you and give you advice if you don't know your way round just yet.

What are your goals for your time at the club, both with the team and personally?

Koné: Personally, what I want is to keep developing and I'm positive that this club is the right place to do that. I'll give my all for the team and put all of my skills and quality at the Borussia’s service so that we can be a strong and successful side. That's my goal for the team of course - to be as successful as possible.

First of all though, you've still got an exciting few months ahead of you in Toulouse as you push for promotion to Ligue 1.

Koné: Yes, the second half of the season upon us and there's everything to play for! We are currently in an automatic promotion spot and I will do everything I can to ensure that we are promoted at the end of this season. Then I'll be ready for my next big adventure here with Borussia!