From Paris to Cartagena, via Châteauroux… Marcin Bulka's season, which will end this Saturday evening with the 38th day of Ligue 2 against AC Ajaccio (8 pm), was unlike any other.
Loaned to the Spanish second division, after starting the French Championship as a holder for the goal of PSG, during a trip to Lens on September 10, the 21-year-old Polish goalkeeper finally managed to find a little stability on the side of la Berrichonne de Châteauroux, which he joined on loan at the end of January.
Despite an ankle injury that sidelined him for two and a half months, Bulka has managed to rake in the playing time he was looking for and hopes to continue to chain matches as his contract with PSG runs until 2025.
Can we say that you have lived the craziest season of your young career?
MARCIN BULKA.
I think I'm one of the few players to have played for three clubs in one season and to be honest at the start of the season I didn't expect that! My debut in Cartagena was difficult because I was not very lucky (
Editor's note: four games played in all competitions between October and January
) and later, when I started playing with Châteauroux, I got injured and I had to take a two and a half month break. But that's behind me now. Obviously, there is frustration, every athlete who does not play as much as he plans and who wants to play is frustrated. But it is necessary to react well to approach the continuation, it is probably the most important thing.
Was it a relief to land in Châteauroux after your delicate passage in Spain, where you had to deal with complicated management of the goalkeepers?
Relief is not the right word.
I'd rather say it was an opportunity that gave me a chance to start playing ball again and keep up the pace.
I saw what Châteauroux was doing before coming, but I wanted to help and show what I could do on the pitch.
It's a shame that I got injured and that made me miss a lot of games but we have to look to the future.
How do you experience these changes from a sporting and human point of view, when you have to play in three different clubs in one year?
It is part of the life of a footballer: there are frequent departures and moves, sometimes unexpected.
It is not easy, yes, but there are adversities that must also be overcome.
To this, we must add the discovery of a club, teammates, a city ...
You have known London, Paris… and now Châteauroux.
What does this change in terms of adaptation and the living climate?
Do you not miss Poland too much?
Right now with Covid-19, whether in Paris or in a small town, there are a lot of limitations.
You can't do what you want, so you have to focus and respect what you have: the ball.
It's a little different life, but I know why I'm here.
Even though I miss home like almost everyone else.
Did you take advantage of the cut linked to your injury to perfect your French learning?
I was already speaking French when I arrived at the club and it helped me to communicate with the team.
I'm still learning because it's not automatic yet, especially in the locker room I'm careful… Because in the mood of a match sometimes, I forget to speak French (
laughs
).
Marcin Bulka started the season as a holder with PSG, during a trip to Lens.
LP / Arnaud Journois
Where do you feel you have made progress and which do you still need to improve?
Like I said, playing week after week is the most important thing.
Understanding the game and sometimes making a few mistakes to draw conclusions is part of football.
In my daily work with Stéphane (
Editor's note: Porato, the goalkeeper coach
), I don't work on one technique more than another.
I am looking to progress in the broad sense and what I want is to stop goals!
Do you think back to the match played against Lens at the start of the season with PSG and did it help you in your progress?
In a game, I stay focused and don't look back.
It was a long time ago, I analyzed what I did wrong and what went well.
Did you still continue to watch PSG games this season?
Of course !
I watch them and I encourage them.
I've been watching a lot of football games for a long time, so nothing has changed.
Are you looking forward to continuing to learn alongside a goalkeeper like Keylor Navas, who has had a great season in the capital?
It's true that for him it's been a great season, he's an incredible goalkeeper, who has surely saved the team in many games.
It is necessary at this level, in particular.
How is your future shaping up in Paris with whom you are linked until 2025?
I still have a contract which is valid for four years, I would really like to make another loan, to be able to play regularly and to climb step by step.
For next season, what I want is to be number 1 goalie, and play all the games.
Do you give priority to France?
I like the French championship and I would like to stay there. Now my choice will always be what is best for me and if the best opportunity for me is a European club, a club next to France, I will go there without a problem.
