Suleimana: Juric is the perfect coach. Backflip against Juventus? I studied gymnastics

The 23-year-old Kamardian Suleimana is a Ghanaian winger. He joined Atlanta this summer. He has played 7 times this season and scored 2 goals and 1 assist. Suleimana was interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport this week.

Do you realize that you are a big surprise in Serie A this season?

I didn't expect that I could have such a good start. I wanted to show everyone my value, first of all to Atlanta. I'm grateful for the opportunity to play at this great club and I love the city of Bergamo very much. I love the work team here and feel the positive atmosphere every day. But now I am no longer a surprise in the eyes of my opponents, so I must work hard to bring new surprises!

Atlanta captain De Jongen once said that he could not point out the specific location of Bergamo from the map. What about you?

Like the captain, I don’t know either. But I know the team very well because Atalanta have achieved a lot in Europe over the past few years and I watched the Europa League final and the European Super Cup.

You also helped the Ghana national team qualify for the World Cup

The World Cup is the most important event, and it is really crazy to be able to participate in the World Cup for the second time at my age.

You were coached by Juric at Southampton, and now you work together again at Atlanta. How is your relationship like?

For me he is the perfect coach, both tactically and technically. He gave me confidence as soon as he arrived at Southampton and he was like a mentor, helping me find the right positions in both offense and defence. He is the teacher and I am the student, I trust him and want to do better.

Have you learned more about the Atlanta club owners and management?

I am very grateful to them for giving me this opportunity to join the team. So I hope to contribute more to the team and help us achieve a higher ranking.

What is the difference between the Premier League and Serie A?

Serie A is a top-level league that pays great attention to tactics and requires you to stay focused throughout the game. The Premier League gave me a good workout in terms of physical confrontation. It was a very intense league.

What do you see for Atlanta's future?

I think the best is yet to come, we still have a lot of games to continue to improve our performance and we can do some great things this season.

Your backflip celebration against Juventus was impressive.

My parents told me not to celebrate like that because it was too dangerous. But when I played against Juventus, it was an adrenaline rush, I didn't think too much about it, it just happened. But I won't do it anymore, I will devise new celebrations, depending on whether I score at home or away. I don’t want to disrespect the other team’s fans, so in the future if I score away from home I will celebrate in a more restrained way. I learned somersaults at Dream Path Academy in Ghana, where in addition to football, I also practiced gymnastics.

In just six months, you experienced Southampton's relegation, joined Atalanta and participated in the Champions League, and helped the Ghana national team qualify for the World Cup.

It can be said that I firmly believe in working hard every day and never giving up.

You left Ghana to play football in Denmark when you were 18 years old. Did the experience of being away from home have a negative impact on you?

No, that is a step-by-step process. I did not leave my home country immediately, but went to Denmark several times first and gradually became familiar with the coach and training base. Although it may sound contradictory, it was the easiest transfer I have dealt with in my career. I left my home country alone and met some new teammates, like Kudus.

Why is the first name Kamaldeen printed on your jersey instead of the last name Suleimana?

This is my own choice. In our culture, if my father and I are sitting at the same table and someone says "Sulaimana," they are referring to my father, not me. It was a sign of respect that I was called Kamaldeen. I have two brothers and three sisters, I am the third. I left home at the age of 11 to go to a football school far away from home. I was away from my family for a long time, but I had a good relationship with my brothers and sisters. I’m not just the only footballer in my family, my eldest brother Abdul Rauf plays for Vision FC in the Ghana Premier League and my youngest brother Hakim plays for Hillerod in the Danish second division.

In the 2022 World Cup, you are the fastest player. Your fastest sprint speed reached 35.7 kilometers per hour. Is this talent or the result of acquired training?

Both. My speed is genetic, but I also work hard to improve through training. When I was about 16, I was playing with kids who were older than me and I had to adapt and put in a lot of effort to compete.

Do you prefer goals or assists?

Since coming to Atlanta I have become more confident in front of the goal, but I prefer assists.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I watch a lot of games. If you approach it with the right mindset, it’s not really work. When you're a kid playing football in the streets with your friends, it's a feeling that stays in your mind.