Rapper Beendo Z participates in the Kings League France with the Wolf Pack FC team, chaired by Adil Rami. After five days of competition, the 27 -year -old artist takes stock for RMC Sport and explains wanting to invest in football after the competition.
Beendo Z, you play the Kings League France within the Wolf Pack FC team, chaired by Adil Rami. How did you end up in this competition?
I saw Amine’s tweet and asked my manager to register for the detections. I went there, I did the technical workshops, the matches and then I was selected by Adil during the Draft. I followed the Kings World Cup last summer in Mexico and I saw that it had a small buzz, with real players and the level. So when I knew there was that in France, I had to come and try. People know me a little and know that I am a soccer player, but if I had not played well, I think I would not have been taken.
What are your relations with Adil Rami?
After having drafted me, he told me that he liked my profile. I saw that he reacted on certain gestures that I made during the detections. We haven’t discussed more than that. We have a president-player relationship. But he is there, he gives us advice. He recommended me to build my game a little, he also told me about communication between teammates on the field. I was surprised by his personality because I did not know him. It is very open, joking. He rooms a lot, but always with a good spirit. He’s like that with all players. It put us at ease in the group and it took us pressure.
What is the involvement of Adil Rami with your team?
He often comes to training and sometimes he participates. It is happy to play with us. We feel that there are remains of world champion. We have not been too much at the duel together, it is more passes or strikes, but we see the old pro. He trains a lot to draw classic penalties and penalites at Ameriaine, because it is not simple. He also prepares the show Dance with the stars, so he doesn’t always have time. But as soon as he can, he comes. It is very close to the team. He encourages us a lot in the locker room.
How do you judge the quality of your workforce?
We have a homogeneous group with futsal players and eleven football players. That’s match, the agreement is good. The coach (Yohan Di Tommas) emphasizes the defensive animation, so that we have as little goals as possible, and he leaves us a little freedom offensively. Anyone can express themselves as they want. It works well. Jordan Boli has a fairly powerful, technical profile, he is really complete. He is a player I appreciate, just like our defender Mathias Faillenot. He is a left -hander, he shows a lot of aggressiveness, he sacrifices himself for the team. But overall, everyone has their talent. We train twice a week and come out from time to time to eat together, to strengthen group cohesion.
A word on the global level of this first edition of the Kings League France…
I find that the level increases as the tournament progresses. The team that surprised me was Pfut Panam All Starz. They are solid, it plays well in the ball. It’s pro, you feel that players are involved. In addition, they have just recruited Ryan Babel (the former Dutch striker, passed by Ajax Amsterdam or Liverpool, editor’s note). There is also Unit3D, the Squeezie team, who has very good players. We will have to watch them.
Your match against Panam All Starz played on a background of rivalry between PFUT, a big fan of PSG, and Adil Rami, former OM defender …
It was a kind of Clasico, the first match in the competition, so there was a particular context. Parisian supporters have come to chamber us, it’s the game. It feels good to see people who believe in the Kings League project and who come to bear as if it was a real football stadium. But we didn’t really calculate that, we were focused on our match. The general atmosphere is good. Over the competition, I feel that people are more and more hypieces. They enjoy watching the matches. It starts to become serious.
OM is a partner of your team. How does it materialize?
We represent Marseille Olympique at Kings League. Already, we saw it in terms of arbitration, we were not too advantaged. Afterwards, these are just theories, but we represent the club. OM sends us strength on networks. I don’t know how they get better with Adil, but they support our team.
How do you look at your start to the tournament?
I am a diesel engine, I will gain power (smile). Since I had not played in a club since the covid period, even if I train a little next door, I have to find my sensations in front of the goal and that I regain confidence in my technique. It’s not bad for now, I’m trying to give the best of myself. There, I find the rhythm. With a little more work, it can give something much better. This is just a question of confidence, after it goes alone. I can play straight or middle behind the attacker. I am no longer a creator, the one who makes the last pass. I am quite fast and I have a good vision of play. I appreciate the style of Pedri or Vitinha. I also really like Lamine Yamal and Désiré Goué.
While Wolf Pack FC occupies the penultimate place in the ranking after five days, what are your ambitions for the rest of the tournament?
It is already to access the Playoffs and then, to go as far as possible by targeting the first four qualifying places for the next Kings World Cup (which will take place in France in June, editor’s note). We have to go home without regrets.
Were you able to interact with certain casting personalities?
No, I haven’t discussed too much with them. I came to qualify. Once I have fulfilled this goal, I can start to socialize, make snaps and everything. Because if I do it all and leave empty -handed, it’s going to make it stupid. I’m here to win and go to the Kings World Cup. When the work is finished, we can start relaxing a little …
Have you gained notoriety since the start of the Kings League France last month?
Yes, a little bit. People had already seen me play on certain games with other artists, but they had never seen me in a situation like that. So already, it retains my audience. They are happy to see me. And it affects other people who did not necessarily know me but who appreciate the fact that I launch another challenge than music. Capitalize on Kings League for my personal projects after? It’s part of the plan. You just have to play your football to have good results and after, I’m going to get my bread too.
Do you plan to continue in football after this experience?
I have resumed training since last October and I have the impression that the stars are aligning. The Kings League gives visibility and on a whim, I can sign somewhere. You have to seize any opportunity to achieve your goals. If a club contacts me, I will study that with my producers. They know my ambitions in both areas: music and sport. Music must not take up all the space in my life, because otherwise I will be dependent on it. I also want to start other challenges, to realize other dreams, it is very important to me. I would like to take over a small football career, I think there is a way to do it with organization and seriousness.
Have you been approached by clubs in recent weeks?
I can’t talk too much about it, but I had some contacts. I had an appointment this week. We discuss. I focus on the end of the tournament and we’ll see for the future.
Do you think you replay the Kings League in the future?
If I am not in a club and I have the opportunity to be selected again, it will be with pleasure. It is a beautiful concept. But it will depend on the rest of my projects. I would like to talk to the organizers of the prospect of exporting the format in Africa. It can be a project. If I can make a little of my help … I have a lot of contacts in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal or Morocco. I know people everywhere.
When you met you two in a double contact interview, you told us about your desire to launch your own sports management structure. Where are you?
The project has been launched but everything has not yet been formalized. There, I am mounting an academy in Cameroon. We will participate in international tournaments in order to promote our players. We are going to do a fundamental work, in terms of technique, tactics and intelligence of play. The idea is to give them foundations that we have been given in Europe. If we can go out two or three players who sign pro, it would be good.
