Timothy Weah, you are the son of former world footballer George Weah. Was your path to becoming a footballer set in stone for you because of your family history?
No, I always had a choice. But of course football was everywhere with us: my father played, my brother, my sister, my cousins, everyone played. That’s why for me it was always the sport I wanted to go to. I was always on the soccer field watching my cousins play. So it was natural for me to just grab the ball and kick it myself.
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Her father is not only a former soccer player, but also a politician and as such is now the President of Liberia. When you were born, his football career was almost over and the political one began. As a father, was he more a footballer or a politician for you?
I was very young back then and didn’t really notice much of the whole hustle and bustle. As far as I remember, as a kid I just knew that he was a footballer and I also knew that he was going into politics. But for me he was one thing above all: my father. There was a time when my mother went back to school to get her degree. I then lived with my father in Florida and he did normal father things with me. We would go away on the weekends, play games after school, or go to McDonald’s. I never saw him as the footballer or the politician.
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You made your professional football debut with Paris Saint-Germain in March 2018. Has any of the superstars asked you if you are the son of the famous George Weah?
At that point I had already played for PSG for five years as a youth player, so I also felt that everyone already knew me. It already felt like home. Of course it’s overwhelming at first when you first meet stars like Neymar, Cavani, Kylian (Mbappé, Anmerkung d. Red.) and all the others you play. That lasted for the first few days, but after a week or two I was part of the group and they welcomed me with open arms.
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„In terms of work ethic on and off the pitch, I think he’s one of the best in the world.”
– about his former teammate Edinson Cavani
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Is there anyone from your time at PSG that you learned a lot from?
The skills of all the players at PSG are amazing. But one player I’ve learned a lot from is Edinson Cavani. In terms of work ethic on and off the pitch, I think he’s one of the best in the world. With Neymar, he was the first to integrate me into the team. I had met him before with the Brazilian national team and I learned a lot from his style of play.
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You can play multiple positions on offense. Where does a coach need to place you to get the best version of Tim Weah?
At the moment I’m playing a lot on the right wing at Lille. It’s actually not my ideal position because I like to pull in to finish with my strong right foot. If you’re on the right wing and you’re pulling in, you’ll have to shoot with your left. That’s why my favorite positions have always been left wing or ten. I don’t see myself as a striker either. For us it’s more like Burak Yilmaz and Jonathan David. I can just help the team on the wing better by getting my runs behind the defenses and laying up for the two forwards. I have a particularly close relationship with Jonathan David. He’s one of my best friends on the team. We just get along well, the chemistry is right. In the game, I usually hit the ball in the middle and it’s always in the right place at the right time.
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– From the capital to the Nord department: „Everything is a little more relaxed in Lille.” – New Balance – You’ve won a number of titles since your professional debut. You’ve won the championship twice with PSG, once with Celtic Glasgow and last year with OSC Lille. Was the title with Lille the most important so far? – Winning the title with Lille also marked the end of Paris’ dominance in French football. Is there a hint of satisfaction? – What is the difference between Lille and Paris? – – Tim Weah with that „Hexagoal”, the French championship trophy. – imago images – – .
The championship with Lille was definitely one of the best moments of my career. I played a lot and was therefore more involved than in Paris. I really appreciate this title. No one had us on the slip and in the end we performed a miracle. It’s been a fantastic year and I’m incredibly proud to have been able to share these moments with my team.
Not really. I’ve always been grateful for everything the club has done for me. PSG gave me a chance that many other young players would have liked to have had at the time. Now I’m with Lille, I won the league here with my team. That was just our moment. But PSG remains a great club with a fantastic team for me.
I don’t think the differences are that big. Of course, the cities are somehow different. Paris is a huge city, full of fashion and all that stuff. Lille is a bit more relaxed about it. As for the clubs: Of course, both want to achieve great things. Lille is perhaps still in the development phase. The championship was therefore a huge step forward. Paris is of course already a huge club, Lille is on the way there.
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