“It was really very hard to make this decision”: Ahmed Hesham, leaving MHB, talks about his future and his current form

L'internation égyptien ne devrait plus être un joueur du MHB à la fin de cette saison 2024-2025. Midi Libre – Michael Esdourrubailh

Before facing Toulouse this Saturday, December 14 (8 p.m.) for the 14th day of Starligue, the Egyptian left-back of MHB, Ahmed Hesham, spoke about his current great form and his more than probable departure from Montpellier to Veszprém.  

A year ago, you were in full recovery following your knee operation, you have come a long way since then, haven't you ?

It was long… Since it was my second knee operation, I thought it would be easier. But in reality, it was harder because it was not at all the same rehabilitation since I went back and forth between Egypt and Montpellier a lot for checks.

What did this injury teach you?

Be patient because I have never been like that. When I first injured my knee, I did everything I could, I wanted to play right away. But then I told myself that it was something I could not control, nor get upset for nothing. So you had to be patient.

You've been in great shape since your return from injury, being one of those who carry the team…

Yes, what I like about myself is that no matter the opponent, I have the responsibility to carry the team. Whether it's by speaking to set the mood in the team, or by defending and attacking. There's something that has changed in me. Because when I was in Nîmes for example, I was more aggressive in my game. Now, I want to be smarter in my game. I play more with my teammates because what I want is to win. What do I prefer ? To be the most aggressive and the one who scores a lot of goals but we lose ? Or to be smarter but we win ? One hundred percent smarter and we win. I had never felt like that. I prefer to make ten assists and not shoot, I don't care.

There was a trigger at some point to start playing like that ?

I don't think I ever had a moment where I thought I needed to play like that. It just came naturally. But after my second injury, I still thought I didn't need to force it. I can't always ask for the ball to be passed to me, for me to force it, for me to do everything…

That's a bit like what happened on the play where you injured your knee against Nîmes last year, right? ?

Exactly yes. After that, I thought I didn't really need to be aggressive for nothing. If I have the choice to shoot, I do it, if not it doesn't matter, if someone else makes the decision to shoot, it's not the end of the world.

“We are really like a family”

What do you enjoy playing with your teammates in Montpellier ?

In truth, I can say that it’s more off the field than on it. Because last year when we were with Patrice, even if I didn’t play much because of my injury, we really trained a lot. We didn’t have much time to see each other off the field. Now, with Erick, we’re calmer. We do more specific things in relation to the opponent. That way, we have more energy for the rest. We’re here 80% of the time all together but we see each other outside too. So that gives a good chemistry in the team. There are a lot of us young people too, there’s not a huge age difference. It’s calmer between us. When we’re angry, we tell each other everything. We are really like a family, that's why it's easy to play with them.

How is it going with Erick Mathé, your coach ?

This is the second time in my career that I have been really comfortable with a coach, because he listens to the player. If he sees that the team is not doing well mentally, he will do everything to try to change that. For me, the morale of the players is really important, because we are not robots who are good at training and going home. He thinks of us, he takes care of our body. There is an exchange, that's why we are no longer comfortable now. We are really a team, we are all happy. During training we are just happy.

You are probably going to leave the club, how did you make your decision?

It was a really hard decision to make. When Plock came to talk to me, I didn’t want to go. Because the environment where I play is important to me. That’s why Montpellier is perfect. And also because Plock is not a club above MHB.

“I need to get out of my comfort zone”

So why did you agree to go to Veszprém ?

We are still discussing but it is on the right track. Yes, they have never won the Champions League, but they play it every year, they are very often in the Final 4. Playing in the Champions League is one of the stages in my career. I have only played five matches and I was really happy. Now, I want to play it all the time because it is my dream to win it. Especially with a team that has never won it, it motivates even more. There is already an Egyptian who plays there, maybe another one who will arrive. Even if there is nothing to do there, Budapest is not far, you can adapt more easily then.

How did the discussions with your president go? ?

It went well because we talked together, with him it's not just formal. He asked me what I wanted when Plock approached me. I told him I didn't want to go and he told me it was a great opportunity, with a lot of money, that he couldn't offer me that. But I told him I was more comfortable here in Montpellier. Three weeks later, I received the offer from Veszprém. We started talking because there I will play in the Champions League every year while here it is more complicated with Paris and Nantes in the championship. It was really very hard to make this decision, I thought about it for a whole week. Even if I was in comfort here, with a different family than the one I really have in Egypt. I am starting to speak French well. But I can't stay like this all my life, I need to get out of my comfort zone. Going to play with different types of players, it's going to be new for me, I'm going to be able to progress.

How did your teammates take it at Montpellier ?

I wanted to tell them, rather than them finding out from someone else like when I was at Nîmes. I wrote a message in our group, saying that unfortunately I wouldn't be with them next year. That it was the first time I felt like I was in a real family and that we were still going to have a good season, that I was going to do everything so that we finished as high as possible. Everyone took it well, they congratulated me, we did something between us at the club. So it was really good.

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