Great hope of football, the 18-year-old midfielder left France for two seasons to join one of the most prestigious clubs in England. Today with the reserve (U23), he could very soon make his debut in the Premier League. Portrait of this number 8 to follow very closely.
With his curly hair, it’s hard not to recognize Hannibal Mejbri. Benjamin of four siblings, the boy very quickly discovered the world of football. Accompanied by his father, Lofti, the native of Ivry-sur-Seine (Val de Marne) goes to the edges of the pitches on weekends to see his brother Abderrahmen, 11 years his senior, play. “I remember when he was 2 or 3 years old, he came with me to play football at the banana field. At the time it was made of concrete, he had fallen and sprained a finger and when he came home he was in pain. And I got yelled at by my father. He then forbade me to take him out with me. Hannibal was not crying because he was in pain but because he absolutely wanted to play soccer outside. “An anecdote that already symbolizes the young boy’s passion.
It was at Paris FC that he made his debut in 2009, at the age of six. A club close to the family home in the 20th arrondissement of the capital. And from his early years, the boy impresses with his athletic and mental qualities. Hannibal’s trainer, Reda Bekhti testifies: “His qualities are the intelligence of the game associated with a high technical quality with the ball on the foot, by passing or by dribbling, accompanied by a large volume. He was psychologically ahead, he played and thought like an adult from a young age. “
Already a leader at heart, on and off the field, the one we nickname « Nino » already has this competitive spirit. ” In the correct meaning of the term ; he likes things to be done well. He is a true perfectionist and for some it was perceived as arrogance which is quite the opposite ”, confides his former educator. A speech supported by the brother: “He is not egocentric as some people think. He’s a winner, he likes challenges, he knows how to be a good loser but he doesn’t like defeat. He is a perfectionist. “
In the footsteps of Kylian Mbappé!
After eight seasons in his first training club, it’s time to take off for Hannibal Mejbri. In the summer of 2017, he therefore joined AC Boulogne Billancourt and went through the National Football Institute (INF), just like Kylian Mbappé, whose course he finished in June 2018. During this unique season with training Boulonnaise, renowned for his excellence and his role as a springboard, he won the U15 Paris Cup against PSG. Then he deliberately chooses not to join Paris Saint-Germain.
“Signing for Monaco is my choice because it is a club that gives young people a chance. We are more likely to break through than at PSG. The stranger, if all goes well, I could go later. But before thinking about all that, I must already impose myself in the teams of my category. Kylian Mbappé or Moussa Sylla are necessarily models. I dream of following their example but I know that I am only at the beginning and there is still a long way to go… ”, he declared then in the columns of the Parisian.
In Monaco, he will quickly confirm all the hopes placed in him. Integrated into the group of U17 Nationals, he asserts himself with his number 8. “He struck the spirits in the same way that Mbappé had done a few years before him”, confides a follower of the Academy. If he does not occupy the same position on the field, although he has a time also evolved on the side of the attack, Hannibal Mejbri is one of the very big hopes of the football of tomorrow, and perhaps even today. “He was clearly on top and had an exceptional vision for the game. When they made the engagement, his partners gave him the ball. He was shooting all set pieces and had an exceptional long game ”, he is ecstatic.
Very strong on free kicks, he is also a very altruistic player, “Sometimes too much”, and available in the field. “He shines by making others shine. He has always used his generosity to make his teammates shine, he has an unparalleled vision of the game and innate combativeness ”, assures Abderrahmen. The one who describes himself ” close enough “ of his brother enjoys spending time with him. Despite their age difference (11 years), they maintain good relations, discussing together regularly on the services of the youngest of the family. As in all siblings, it also happens that they sleep in but what they particularly appreciate is “Play against each other, talk about everything and nothing”.
Already coveted by big clubs from the age of 8 or 9, « Nino » remains down to earth, well helped by his family. “My parents accompany him all the time. They know what is at stake in this support. Being small it helped him a lot psychologically during tournaments and matches, it was already a pretty substantial support. And I think that’s how he learned to protect himself ”, testifies his brother. Curious, humble, he is also an intelligent boy, gifted in school and who learns quickly. Despite a year early in Scientific First, he has not yet passed his baccalaureate due to concerns encountered during his year in Monaco. Today, he is perfecting his English thanks to distance learning courses. A language necessary to evolve at the highest level across the Channel.
A quack in Monaco and a new lease of life in Manchester
His Monegasque adventure will (very) quickly come to an end. In May 2019, the player’s entourage tried to unilaterally break the contract of the Franco-Tunisian nugget considering that it had not been approved by the LFP and was not legal under the French system. “One of the biggest conflicts that the AS Monaco training center has known”, then commented Mohamed Bouhafsi, journalist RMC Sport. A procedure has even been opened with the Professional Football League. Finally, Hannibal Mejbri, who had ended his season at the end of April, will leave the Principality’s club at the end of July to join Manchester United. The Rocher club would have received ten million euros for this transfer (including € 5 million in bonus).
“This episode remains a simple experience, it is a page that has been turned today. We are focused on the present. The family lived it badly but all of this is behind us ”, ensures the entourage of the player. Now focused on Manchester United, Hannibal Mejbri hopes to shine there and play in the first team with Paul Pogba. The international tricolor is one of his models, just like Xavi and Iniesta at Barça or Zidane and Messi. Former director of AS Monaco Academy, who later became a recruiter and the origin of his arrival at the Rouge et Blanc, Nicolas Weber told us just a year ago: “Mejbri, we will soon see him come to Manchester because he is very strong. “ Ole Gunnar Solskjær even indicated just a few days ago that he would join the first team as did Shola Shoretire, a 17-year-old Anglo-Nigerian left winger.
While many are beginning to know him for his athletic performance, few know him on a personal level. The native of the Paris region is, for example, a great fan of chess. A board game requiring a lot of focus and a tactical mind, it certainly contributed to what became of Hannibal on the pitch. “Our parents did everything to ensure that we didn’t miss anything. Our mother made sure we were good at school. She didn’t want us to stay in the neighborhood during the holidays. We always had activities to do (recreation center, skiing, discovery courses) because my parents knew the risks of the neighborhoods. They have always given us the means not to stay there for fear of succumbing ”, livre Abderrahmen.
Hannibal Mejbri is therefore very open-minded and sociable. “He discovered a passion for animals, reveals his brother. After that remains a teenager like any other, he plays the PlayStation, watches series, manga, films. “ Moreover, if he has a fault to blame « Nino », it would be nice to use the phone. Simple person, the international tricolor U16 and U17 (15 caps) therefore seems to have the human, athletic, technical and mental qualities to break through at the highest level. The next few weeks will tell us more …
The final word
Abderrahmen Mejbri : “I would like to thank Sami Guenfoud, Reda Bekhti, Ismael Bamba, Philippe Bretaud, Fabien Caballero. All of these educators made Hannibal better and allowed him to improve in many areas. Sami and Reda’s requirement made Hannibal even more perfectionist than he was before. Hannibal was Ismael Bamba’s joker. Mr Bretaud has put my brother’s qualities in order. “
Portrait by Yanis Ben Messaoud and Geoffrey Leplang
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