Fellaini: My Hometown

Marouane Fellaini is currently representing Belgium at Euro 2016, but before he left for the tournament he chatted to ManUtd.com about his home town of Brussels...

You were born in Brussels – what sort of city is it?
It’s a great city. It is very multi-cultural. I always love to go back there. I’ve lived there, my family live there, I was born there and I know everything there.

What are your favourite parts of the city?
When I go to Brussels I like to be with my family and to enjoy things with them. When you train hard every day it’s nice to go back there to recover and relax and spend time with your family.

Where should visitors go?
We have the Grand Place. It’s a great place – there are a lot of small restaurants there and, I must say, good ones with good food!

Tourists from England would visit Brussels, but where do people in Belgium spend their holidays within Belgium?
In the summer we go to the beach in the north of Belgium. It’s a great place to visit to have fun.

We often think of Belgium’s fantastic food and drink – what would you recommend?
The chips in Belgium, as everyone knows, are the best! [Laughs]. Another speciality is the beer – people like to drink a lot in Belgium!

Is Belgian chocolate the best in the world?
I think so!

What sports are most popular in Belgium?
Everyone watches football everywhere in the country.

What does it mean to be Belgian and do Belgians have a strong sense of identity?
I’m very happy to a Belgian boy. I was born there and I have a lot of friends there and I know the culture. Belgian people are good people, honest people. It’s a great country.

The official languages in Belgium are Dutch, French and German but there is also Flemish, isn’t there?
I was born in Brussels so I talk French but in Brussels the people can speak both languages. In Belgium we have two parts of the country – one part speaks French and the other speaks Flemish. We have a lot of languages – I can also speak a bit of German too. It’s complicated! [Laughs].

Credit: manutd.com