Moroccan star El Khannouss opens up after Champions League debut for Stuttgart

The 22-year-old made his first appearance in Europe's premium cup competition in the 3-1 victory over Norwegian club Viking FK last week, featuring for 71 minutes before being substituted.

"I was very excited because I have never played in the Champions League before, said El Khannouss to the Bundesliga website.

"I've played in almost every competition in my young career, but the only one I was missing was the Champions League. I played my first game last Wednesday. So yes, I was very happy with it, and I hope we're going to have a great campaign."

He had recently joined the German side on a permanent deal after spending the 2025/26 campaign on loan from English League One club Leicester City.

"I'm still young, I'm 22, and I have dreams that I want to keep fighting for until they come true," he added.

"My dreams are to play for the biggest clubs in the world, and I will keep working towards them. I think this is the right place to be, to grow as a player and to make the next step."

The young attacker will be hoping to help his side improve their current domestic form which sees the club sitting in 14th spot on the table after one win and two draws.

Stuttgart will host second placed Borussia Dortmund in their next league clash on Saturday.

READ MORE: 'I always want to play' - Luis Diaz calls for more competition at Bayern Munich