Interview with Ibrahima Baldé: “Kuban Krasnodar is making history”

Kuban’s Senegalese striker, Ibra Balde, talked with RFN about his first year in Russia, Kuban Krasnodar, Senegal national team his past in Spain and Argentina and the case Denisov. Question: How are you doing with the cold weather? Answer: Winter is always hard to deal with. However, the problem is not the cold but the fact that we have to play matches under zero degrees on fields in bad conditions. When we went to Volga in March, the grass seemed cement, it was awful. At least, this season we have already visited Tom Tomsk’s field in Siberia (laughter). In the end, you get used to the cold because you are playing football, and that is what you really care for. It should be noted that Krasnodar is one of the most southern and least cold cities in the country. However, the weather cannot be compared to the Spanish one. Q: Why did you choose Russia? A: Actually, I was going to England but I could not in the end because I could not obtain a work permit in time. I was happy in Osasuna, but due to their economic difficulties, the club had to lower my salary by 10-15%, and I did not accept that. I would have never imagined going to Russia but, after the Olympic Games in London, Kuban Krasnodar made me an interesting proposal and I accepted it. Before signing it I knew nothing about the city or the club. Q: How a Senegalese player, born and raised in his country, starts his career in an Argentinian reserve team? A: Every African player dreams of going to Europe or America so as to be a professional player. One year before going to University I received a proposal from an Argentinian team. There, I started in Argentinos Juniors under 20 and was moved to Vélez’s reserve team. There, I was seen by José Sánchez Parra, a Spanish agent who offered me to try in Atlético de Madrid B. I was in Argentina for a brief and tumultuous period, but it gave me the opportunity to go to Spain. Q: What happened afterwards? A: I was in Atlético’s reserve team until Quique Sánchez handed me my professional debut in January 2010. The next summer I was loaned to Numancia, in second division, and when I returned to Atlético, I was sold to Osasuna. I barely played for Atlético: I was very young and the team had top level forwards like Agüero or Forlán and also Falcao or Adrián. Q: Do you regret your decision of emigrating to Russia? A: Absolutely not. After a year, I consider that I am completely adapted to the country and the team, despite the difficulties with the language. I have never been afraid of going to an unknown country with a very different culture. The fact that my wife came with me, helped me a lot. Q: How do you communicate with the coach, colleagues and technical staff? A: I am beginning to understand some Russian, I cannot speak the language though. In the changing rooms I can speak French with some of my teammates (Kaboré, Cissé) or in Spanish (Dealbert). But still, we have French, Spanish and English interpreters who translate what the coach says and help us communicate with the rest of the footballers in the team. We can say the language is not a problem. Q: Do you think you will stay in Russia for a long time? A: I do not want to end my career in Russia. I do not know how long I will stay here but I am still young and dream of going back to Spain or playing in England. This summer I had offers to leave but the club decided to keep me. Q: Russia is not an exotic destination anymore. To take a case in point, you are not the only Senegalese in Russia… A: More and more African footballers come to the country: from Morocco, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Ivory Coast and, of course, also from Senegal. In the summer 2012, like me, Dame N’Doye (Lokomotiv Moscow) and Moussa Konaté (FC Krasnodar) arrived to the RPL. I speak with them both very often and, with Konaté, before he left on loan to Genoa, we used to see each other a lot because our clubs are from the same city. Q: Precisely, you and Konaté played together for the Senegalese national team in the Olympic Games in London 2012 and, after some months, you became opponents in the Russian league… A: A funny anecdote happened to Moussa and me. Before knowing our final destination, he was convinced we would be again together in Kuban. None of us knew anything about the city or which clubs where in it, so Konaté thought he would go to the same club as me. I do not know if Kuban was actually interested in signing us both or if it was him who did not know very well that there was more than one team in the first division in Krasnodar. Inspite of the misunderstanding, we were very close to each other and met very often. Q: What can you say about the rivalry Kuban-Krasnodar? A: It is not as fierce as it could seem. Maybe it is for the fans, but not for the football players or the executives. As I said, some of the players from the two teams used to meet in some pubs in the city. This summer, for instance, Ignatjev was signed, a winger from Krasnodar, and Pizzelli, who played in Kuban last year, was signed by Krasnodar. Even though FC Krasnodar, which was founded in 2008, is the richest club in the city, Kuban is the traditional team and always gathers more supporters in the stadium (they share the stadium). When a derby is played, no matter which the local team is, Kuban always doubles the number of supporters. Q: Kuban is a modest club, without the ability to retain its best players and that, five seasons ago, was in second division. However, last year it ended up fifth in the league – above Rubin Kazan, Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow – and could get to the European competition for first time in the club’s history. How are the team and the city living this event? A: Both the players and supporters are conscious about the historic moment we are living. The atmosphere during the last match in the league was incredible and the celebration after achieving the classification was even better. We are all delighted and excited to play in the Europe League, and we have already passed the first preliminary round. Some fans even travelled to Scotland to support us against Motherwell. I feel very lucky to be in the club when its best moment in its history is taking place. Also, almost always, I have lived important moments in every club I have played for. In Atlético, although I almost never played, we won the Europe League and played the final of the Spanish cup against Sevilla, in Numancia the team was very close to be promoted to first division and in Osasuna we almost classified to Europe League. Q: Before losing against CSKA, the club had not lost for 19 matches and during last season the team played very well . What is the secret of Kuban’s success? A: The club has good players, although not as good as those in Zenit, CSKA, Rubin Kazan or Lokomotiv, for example. So we try to compensate that lack – even more after the sale of Kulik, Özbiliz and Ionov, three of the most crucial players last season – by playing passing games. Our football style, sometimes difficult to carry out because of the conditions of the grass, is based on the group and sacrifice. Above all, we are a modest club that has no star players and we are perfectly conscious of our virtues and limitations. Q: How would you describe your first season in Russia? A: I arrived last summer with the objective of substituing Lacina Traoré, who was sold to Anzhi. Even though I scored and played an important role in the team, last season was not my best one. I landed in Russia when the league had already started, without resting after the Olympic Games in London and without doing the pre-season. It was difficult to start because of my physical condition. Despite that, the coach made me play and I did a decent work in the end (eight goals and three assists in 23 matches). Q: Since some weeks ago you share changing room and fight for the forward’s position with Cissé, a European champion… A: It would have been difficult to believe, a year ago, that a player like him would come to Kuban. He is an incredible player and I like having him as competitor because that helps me improving and does not allow me to lower my level. Although in Atlético, Kun Agüero and Forlán played almost all the time, I am glad I was there with them because that made me more mature and I learnt how to take advantage of opportunities. The fact that Cissé is in the club, who I get on very well with because he speaks French like me, is not going to change anything in me. I do not worry about him, I only do about my own performance. Q: Some days ago it was published that Denisov, captain of the Russian national team, had confronted Eto’o, Boussoufa and some other Africans in Anzhi. Denisov had also problems with Hulk, and it seems that it was because of racist reasons. What do you think about his behavior? A: I am not going to judge anyone because I do not know the case in depth. But I consider that modern football is global and most professional clubs have players from all over the world, as it happens in Anzhi and Zenit, so all of us should moderate our words and behavior. Q: Denisov’s behavior is also very common among the supporters of Russian teams. For instance, some Zenit fans signed a document against the signing of black or homosexual players. Have you experienced any episode of racism since you arrived in Russia? A: I do not really know as I do not understand Russian. However, I am convinced that there is more racism in Russia than in Spain. There I never had any problems related to that. Here people is more set in their ways, and sometimes they give you the evil eye just because of your skin colour and, probably, I have been insulted because of that. I do not pay attention to that kind of behavior though. Q: Senegal has many opportunities to get to the final classification for the next World Cup in 2012. Do you think you will be called in case the team gets to Brazil? A: If we draw or win against Uganda in September, our classification for the World cup in Brazil will only depend on one qualifying round. We have everything needed to achieve it: players, level and ambition so as to play like in 2002. Personally, I consider that this season in Kuban is key to obtain a hipothetical place in the final list. There are a lot of competitors (Sow, N’Doye, Papis Cissé, Demba Ba, etc) but my options and opportunities only depend on my performance