Théo Chennahi: “A lot of work has been done”
The breakout star of Montpellier’s season, the 21-year-old homegrown midfielder, discusses the 2025–2026 season, both from a personal and a team perspective.
A year ago, you had only made a few appearances as a pro. Today, you’re the second-most-used player on the team behind Alex Mendy. What do you make of that statistic?
Making my pro debut last season and getting a few appearances was already a dream come true and the culmination of a lot of hard work. This year, I wanted to keep improving, reach new goals, and I think I succeeded. I’m proud to have earned so much playing time and to have won the coach’s trust.
I’m proud to have managed to “scrape together” so much playing time and to have earned the coach’s trust.
Did you expect to play this much?
I didn’t necessarily expect it, but I was hoping for it, yes. I knew it would be tough at first, but that with hard work, it could work out, and that I might be able to show what I’m capable of. I kept working hard, and in the end, everything turned out well for me.
You lead the Montpellier squad this season in successful tackles, rank second in ball recoveries, interceptions, and high-intensity pressuring, and third in fouls drawn. You’ve set the bar high for a rookie season…
(He smiles.) I wasn’t aware of that. Those are certainly impressive stats, but I’m sure that with hard work, I can and must continue to improve them as the seasons go by. I love winning and getting better; I have that competitive fire on the field that drives me to give it my all, and I’m glad those numbers reflect that, even though I didn’t expect it.
You’ve always been a strong defensive player. On the other hand, you seem to have improved your ball-handling skills…
I think so, especially in the second half of the season. I worked on my mindset because, in the first half of the season, I think I was playing to my strengths but I knew I could do more. I was making a lot of backward passes; I was almost always playing it “safe,” so to speak. In training, the coach would often talk to me and emphasize that I needed to be more relaxed. I had to get past that mental block because I was convinced I could do it. In the second half of the season, it paid off, and I think it showed on the field.
I think I can be more decisive, whether it’s in the quality of my passes or my shots, but that will come with time and hard work
And that led to you having a bigger impact on offense…
When I first started playing soccer, I played as a No. 9, then, over time, I moved to No. 10 and finally No. 8, so I always had that drive to push forward. When I arrived at the MHSC Academy, I was moved to the No. 6 position, and the coaches taught me how to defend. They gave me that defensive foundation, which has been very beneficial for my development. Now, I play as a No. 8, and I think that’s the position that suits me best because it allows me to push forward. That said, as I’ve mentioned in previous interviews, I’m young and my main goal is to play; so, no matter what position the coach puts me in, I give it my all and always will.
And that led to you having a bigger impact on offense…
Early in the season, I was making a lot of backward passes; I was almost always playing it “safe,” so to speak. In practice, the coach kept emphasizing that I needed to be more relaxed
In what areas have you improved, and where do you still need to improve?
At my age, and given that this is my first full season with the pros, I can and must continue to improve in every area—physically, tactically, and in my ball handling, especially when it comes to the final passes. I think I can be more decisive, whether in the quality of my passes or my shots, but that will come with time and hard work. I also need to avoid certain silly mistakes, like the one I made in Amiens, which led to avoidable yellow cards. I need to manage my emotions a little better.
In the second half, I think we all really let loose. We all pushed each other to do better, and even though we missed the playoffs, I think it bodes well for the future.
Another highlight of the season for you was your first professional goal against Troyes. How would you describe it, and how did you feel when you saw the net ripple?
We conceded the first goal. Almost right off the kickoff, I saw a long clearance; Alex (Mendy) pressured the opposing defender and ended up getting in front of him. At that moment, I made a run to get into a scoring position, Alex played me a great ball back, and I scored with the inside of my left foot. When I saw the ball go in, honestly, I felt immense joy and a lot of pride. I went over to Axel (Guéguin), who was on the bench, to celebrate the goal with him and the whole team. I also thought of my father, who has always helped me and always believed in me, and my grandfather, who is watching me from the sky.
More generally, since you were there last season, how did you experience the formation of this group and its development?
Off the field, I’ve only met great people so far. We’ve gotten to know each other over time, and things have developed very well as we’ve gone along. We have a great group, and we all get along well.
On the field, it’s true that when there are a lot of new arrivals, it takes a little time to develop chemistry. Plus, with the season we went through last year, the players who stayed were still mentally affected. But then, as the season went on, everything fell into place. We had to start by building a solid defensive foundation, then work through the midfield, and finally focus on the attack. We managed to build that during the first half of the season, and in the second half, I think we all really let loose. We all pushed each other to be better, and even though we missed the playoffs, I think it bodes well for the future.
What did this team lack to make it to the playoffs?
This can be partly explained by the major overhaul of the roster and the fact that it took us a little while to find our footing—which makes sense given the number of changes—but it’s mainly our first half of the season that leaves us with some regrets. Then, in the second half, we perhaps lacked a bit more killer instinct in front of the goal and in one-on-one situations; we needed to make the right pass or take the shot at the right moment, even from outside the box. We sometimes tend to put all the blame on the attack, but it’s not just the forwards who can score. We midfielders, too, could have contributed by being more clinical in the final third.
That said, I think our second half of the season bodes well for the future. When you look at what we’ve done and what we’ve managed to build, I don’t think anyone expected us to be where we are. That means we could have potentially made the playoffs if we’d been at that level all season long. That’s why I think we can go very far in the future and, why not, make it back to Ligue 1.
Being named Player of the Month is an individual honor, but winning it with the club that developed me is a source of both personal and collective pride. I owe it to my hard work and my performances, but without my team, without the coach who supported me throughout the season, and without my parents who have always been there for me, I would never have achieved it.
If you had to pick the team’s best and worst games this season, which ones would you choose?
The best game of the season, in my opinion, was the home game against Troyes at La Mosson (2-2, April 4, Matchday 29). Given our performance, I think we deserved to win that day. In addition to the three points, which would have been very important, a win against the league leaders would have given us a huge confidence boost ahead of another crucial match away at Annecy the following week (0-0) and put more pressure on the teams ahead of us. As for our worst game, I’d say it was the home loss to Boulogne (1-3, September 23, Matchday 7).
A word about the fans…
Simply thank you for their support and dedication throughout the season. Honestly, they never let us down, even when things were a bit tough. They were always there, they always made the trips, and they always showed up. It’s a shame we couldn’t win our last home game against Clermont for the anniversary of Butte Paillade 91. I think we could have given them that, but there were some key moments in the game, and the match didn’t go our way. In any case, thank you to our fans for this year, and I know they’ll continue to support us in the seasons to come.
You’ve also been named Player of the Month twice. What do you think of that honor?
As a player, it’s definitely always a pleasure. It’s an individual award, but winning it—twice, no less—with the club that developed me is a source of both personal and collective pride. I owe it to my hard work and my performances, but without my team, without the coach who helped me throughout the season, and without my parents who have always supported me, I would never have achieved it. These two trophies belong to them as well.
Thank you to the fans for their support and dedication throughout the season
Against Grenoble at La Mosson (a 2-1 win on April 17), you also made your first start alongside your friend from the youth academy, Axel Guéguin. How did you find that experience?
Axel is my best friend. We’ve already had the chance to play together this season, but never as starters. At the hotel, since we share a room during training camps, a lot of memories came flooding back: our early days in the youth ranks with MHSC, the tournaments… and you realize just how fast time flies… You see a lot of images flashing through your mind, so it’s emotional. Then, luckily, once the match starts, you forget all that and you’re 100% focused on the present moment—that is, on winning the match.
On a broader note, I was really happy for Axel because it had been a long time since he’d been on the field. Playing professionally with your best friend, at the club that trained us both, is a feeling that’s hard to describe, but I was even happier for him than for myself. Unfortunately, after his beautiful goal against Amiens, he tore his ACL again the day before we hosted Clermont. It’s hard to take. No one deserves that, and for him, after everything he’s already had to go through, it’s even harder. He doesn’t deserve this because he’s a hard worker on the field and a wonderful person off it. I’m giving him my full support.
In closing, will this season in the spotlight allow you—a typically reserved person—to open up a little more?
It’s true that off the field, I’m an introvert; I have a hard time approaching people. That said, on the field, I can be a leader… Maybe not a leader through words, but a leader through actions—whether it’s winning the ball back or playing aggressively, for example. Maybe, with some work, I’ll even be able to become a technical leader one day.
For example, when I mess something up, I don’t like being yelled at. So, if someone else messes up, I’ll usually encourage them instead. On the other hand, I won’t hesitate to correct or guide them sometimes, but nothing more than that. Before games, it’s the same—I’m not the one who’ll speak up to motivate the team because I need to focus and be a bit in my own little world (that didn’t stop him from wearing the captain’s armband on several occasions, in U19 and N3).
