Dan Ndoye played in the Champions League with Bologna for the first time in his career. The Swiss raves about the competition and explains why he can't enjoy the atmosphere during the game.
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- FC Bologna played in the Champions League for the first time in the club's history this season.
- Dan Ndoye was on the pitch for all eight games and says: "It was a dream."
- However, the Swiss international can rarely enjoy the atmosphere during the game: "If you want to perform as a professional footballer, you can't let the emotions get the better of you, because otherwise you can't perform at the highest level."
Last season, FC Bologna sensationally qualified for the Champions League in fifth place in Serie A. As is so often the case with smaller clubs, the sell-off followed: former Basel player Riccardo Calafiori went to Arsenal for 45 million euros, star striker Joshua Zirkzee to Manchester United for 42.5 million euros. The architect of the team's success, coach Thiago Motta, moved to record champions Juventus Turin.
Bologna had a correspondingly difficult time on their debut in the Champions League. After six games in the group stage, the Italians had just two draws and four defeats to their name. Advancing to the knockout phase was already out of reach. At least there was a win against the previous year's finalists Borussia Dortmund - the first victory for Bologna in the European Cup for over 60 years. In an interview with blue Sport, Ndoye spoke of a special moment: "The fans were already over the moon with joy at the end of last season, but now it was even more extreme. The scenes were really incredible and with the music at the end of the game, it was a very special moment for us and our fans."
Professionalism instead of enjoyment
For 24-year-old Ndoye, it was the first Champions League appearance of his career. Even as a child, he had dreamed of hearing the infamous anthem of the premier class: "It was a dream," says Ndoye. Not just for him, but also for his family, who attended all the matches: "My mother cried when she heard the anthem for the first time."
After being knocked out this season, Ndoye wants to return to the Champions League as soon as possible. Despite the many departures, Bologna are once again looking good for a place in the top flight. Coach Vincenzo Italiano's team are currently in fourth place, ahead of Juventus and Lazio. Once you've played in "the most beautiful of all European competitions" and enjoyed it, you really want to go back, says Ndoye: "It's like a drug, once you touch it, you want to go back and compete against the best players."
And what about the emotions when you play at Anfield Road like against Liverpool? Ndoye says that he used to experience emotions immediately because he was not yet able to put himself in his bubble. Now he can immediately put himself in his game: "In your head there is always professionalism with the desire to win. I think you experience the emotions afterwards rather than during."
However, he doesn't regret the fact that he can't perceive the emotions so much during the game, but explains: "If you want to perform as a professional footballer, the emotions mustn't get the upper hand, because otherwise you can't perform at the highest level."
"Racism shouldn't have been an issue for a long time"
Italy's football has always been associated with racism. "When I was younger, I heard about some racist incidents in Italy," says Ndoye, who points out that these cases exist throughout Europe: "We try to fight against it and eradicate racism as quickly as possible."
However, Ndoye has not had any negative experiences so far: "I haven't had any problems with racism since I've been in Italy." The problem shouldn't have been a problem for a long time, says Ndoye, adding: "Unfortunately, there are always isolated cases. It's about drawing the necessary consequences so that it no longer happens in football and outside of it."
