FOX 9's Pierre Noujaim interviews Minnesota United defender Romain Metanire in French

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Life as a pro soccer player in America has its own unique challenges. Many players come from overseas not knowing the language, they have to adjust to a new culture, and they play a sport that often isn’t at the forefront of popularity.

Minnesota United defender Romain Metanire took a chance on playing in America. He’s still working on his English, but was kind enough to share his experiences with us in his native French.

Why Minnesota?

My agent called me and told me that a club in the MLS was interested. So I said why not. It’s something that had interested me for a while. That’s how I heard about Minnesota. And although I had other prospects, the offer was the most interesting and it made sense to me.

Did you want to play in the US?

At the start of the season, I thought the MLS would be an interesting prospect and, yes, I wanted to play in the MLS. When I was younger, I was attracted to the U.S. and, for me, this is an opportunity to combine my personal and professional life. 

How do you feel about soccer fans here?

In Europe, soccer is very popular. It is the number one sport. But although it’s not the number one sport in America, there are many fans and when we play at home the stadium is full, which surprised me. I did not think that I would see so many fans. 

Watch the video for more of Pierre’s interview with Romain.