Adilson Malanda’s last club, Rodez AF, is the opposite of Charlotte FC in almost every way. The club 93 years old with decades of tradition, plays in Ligue 2 in France, and their stadium has a capacity of 6,000 in a city of 25,000 people. Malanda’s club prior to Rodez was Nîmes Olympique, a slightly younger team (founded in 1937) in a bigger city (pop. 148,561) with a bigger stadium (capacity 18,482).

In other words, the entire city of Rodez could easily fit into the lower bowl of Bank of America Stadium, and Nîmes has as many people as Concord and Kannapolis combined.

*Charlotte FC Defender Adilson Malanda during a August 27 match against Toronto. (Photo by Alana McCallion; Courtesy Charlotte FC)*

The addition of Malanda on defense comes at a critical time after a season-ending injury benched Guzmán Corujo, and the wear-and-tear of a full MLS season is beginning to show on other defenders. As one of three late international signings for Charlotte FC, Malanda is the first to reach the pitch since the other players have been delayed due to visa issues. He played the full 90 as a right center back in Charlotte’s 0-2 loss to Toronto.

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to ask Malanda about the culture shock, building Charlotte FC’s culture, and the difference between Ligue 2 and Major League Soccer. Since Malanda prefers French for interviews, friend of Soccer Sheet and polyglot Adrian Singerman asked the questions and translated Malanda’s answers for us.

Questions and answers slightly edited from the translation for clarity:

Soccer Sheet: After having a chance to start against Toronto, how does MLS compare to Ligue 2 in France?
Adilson Malanda: It’s difficult to compare them, but it’s true that they’re a little different. I think that, as I said previously, the game here is a little more open, there’s a little more space, since teams generally press, which creates space. In Europe, and particularly in France, it’s more closed, more compact, but in terms of intensity, it’s pretty similar, and you have to put forth a lot of effort, like anywhere.

SS: Your last club, Rodez, is 93 years old. What is it like going from a club with a century of tradition to a club that is still building its identity on and off the pitch?
Malanda: Yes, of course. It’s two different visions, since on one side, we have the Rodez club that already has its principles, so when you arrive in a club like that, everything is already put in place, the mentality, the operation, and being part of a new franchise, you have to start from scratch, so to speak, even if you can take inspiration from a few other members of the same league. As coach [Lattanzio] said very well, we want to impose our mentality, now is the time for us to build something, and you have to build well for the club to have staying power and for things to go very, very well.

SS: Finally, Charlotte is a large city in the U.S., while the last to clubs you played at were smaller cities in France. How are you making the transition?
Malanda: Since it’s my first time in the United States, I’m inevitably discovering things. It’s really something else. When I arrived here, I was in awe, and I’m very happy to be here. It’s true that it’s a little different, because there’s more hustle and bustle, but we also have big cities in France, so I think that, yes, it’s different, but I’m getting used to it, and it’s going very, very well.

*Charlotte FC Defender Adilson Malanda challenges a Toronto player for a header as Brandt Bronico and Jaylin Lindsay watch. (Photo by Alana McCallion; Courtesy Charlotte FC)*

Special thanks to Adrian Singerman, who in addition to translating contributed to this story.

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Soccer Sheet

Interview: Charlotte Defender Adilson Malanda