Trabzonspor’s successful forward Simon Banza made a statement to Trabzonspor Magazine. Banza, who first explained his interest in karate, said, “The love of karate comes from my family. My father was a karate master, a black belt. This is in his DNA. That’s why I loved karate very much. I was also playing football at that time. I don’t know exactly what he thought at that time, but my mother “He suddenly changed his mind, wanted me to play football. I don’t know exactly what he thought, he came out and said ‘I prefer my son to play football, not karate’, and that’s what caused this change.”
“I AM A GOALKER AND SOMEONE WHO EXPECTS A LOT FROM HIMSELF”
Noting that he has two paths to follow when he cannot score a goal, the Democratic Congolese player said, “I am a striker and therefore I am someone who expects a lot from himself. When I cannot score a goal, there are actually two paths I can follow; either I will tell myself that things are not going well, I cannot score a goal and I am not good enough. Either I will say that the situation is not that bad, I can score a goal in the next match. I try to focus more on the things I can do, the positive things I can achieve, because sometimes you cannot score two or three goals in every match. It happens, it comes naturally. Sometimes it doesn’t want to happen. When that happens, you have to raise your head and focus on positive things and do better in the next match. Of course, you are disappointed afterwards, but there are other things besides scoring goals, like knowing how to help the team. The game is not just about scoring goals, you have to work hard and know things like making assists. Therefore, I try to overcome the problem and become more calm and peaceful,” he said.
“TRABZONSPOR IS A CLUB THAT IMPRESSES ME VERY MUCH”
Emphasizing that Trabzonspor is a club with championships and goals, Banza said, “Trabzonspor is a club that impressed me a lot. I have many Turkish friends and before I signed the contract, they told me that Trabzonspor is a top-level club. It is a club with championships and goals. In fact, My arrival here and my transfer was a bit special for me. After this transfer, there were many things that occupied my mind, but I had to get used to my new teammates, a new language and a new country. It is a fact that when you are happy and feel good in a place, the rest comes and it was the same in Trabzon. I was welcomed very well when I came to Trabzon, I had no problems. I am very happy to be here and I think this reflects on the mental and field performance. You have to be physically good. You may not always be able to do this. Sometimes miracles happen, but the main thing is to be good off the field. “This is exactly what I experience here,” he said.
“I AM NOT STICKED WITH THE KING GOAL POSITION”
The 28-year-old striker, who said that he wanted to be the top scorer but was not stuck there, said, “Football is like a piano piece. I have been in football for a long time. I started at a young age. I will soon complete the 10th anniversary of my professional career. Football is like a piano piece. Repetitions are made to achieve perfection.” This means that you repeat the same thing every day, you improve by repeating the same movements every day, so that when you put the ball into the goal or make the right pass, you show the same movement as much as possible. I came to Trabzonspor a little late, I joined the team at the end of the transfer period. Therefore, I started playing later than others. My goal is to score as many goals as I can and help my team to be higher and make the team third, second and first. I want to score goals. These are the goals that are valuable. This is not just about me, it is the team that will help us move up. That’s why I’m not stuck with the top scorer position. Of course, as a striker, I would like this. Sometimes strikers can get stuck on this goal because it is an individual goal. And this title is a very special title for a striker. You have to be strong and sometimes you have to be able to make the right decision as a striker. “Of course, although I am very close to the goal, I do not want to deprive myself of this,” he said.
“JOKER IS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR ME”
Explaining that his goal joy came from the movie character Joker, Banza continued his words as follows:
“The Joker is a character who has difficulty expressing himself in society. In fact, if you have watched the movie, you will understand. He reflects a certain distress and explodes at one point. But please pay attention, I am not trying to say that I am distressed, I really liked this character because it reflects many things that are happening in society today. It tells about what is happening all over the world through people struggling with difficulties. There are people who cannot find food in one place, and there are healthy people who have fewer problems, and people who are in trouble finally come out and say that no one notices them. World. Joker also wants to convey this. He wants to bring some joy, considering that everyone is quite sad. I can say that he is not a bad character. In the end, these actions inspire me too.”
“IT WAS A GREAT GOAL AND EVERYONE WAS HAPPY”
Stating that he could not forget the goal he scored in the Lens-Troyes match in the 2018-19 season, Simon Banza said, “There is a goal I scored after my return from injury. In the 2018-19 season, we were playing in the Lens-Troyes match on the opponent’s field and it was the promotion match to Ligue 1. The club has been in Ligue 2 for a long time. Therefore, this was a very important match and we had to win. I entered the game in the second half and we went to extra time. “During extra time, Arial Mendy made a cross from the ground, I went down to the front post and headed the ball. The movement, the timing, and most importantly, the meaning, it was all good and everyone was happy, my family was there too,” he said.
“I LOVE SEEING THE CITY OF TRABZON”
Noting that he wore the number 17 jersey while he was in Famalicao and scored 17 goals, the striker said, “I wore the number 23 when I was in Braga, including last year, and scored 21 goals in the league. When you add 2, it makes 23 goals in total. That’s why they are special numbers. Maybe the number 30 jersey.” If I wear it, I will score 30 goals. When I don’t play football, I play Playstation and chat with my friends. Sometimes I go out and I like walking. “I love nature and everything in nature. I go out and buy things I don’t even know what they are. I find this important, I shouldn’t lose socialization with people,” he said.
Emphasizing that he listens to music before the match to be mentally prepared, Banza said, “This is not exactly a ritual, but I get myself in the best condition to go on the field. I stretch, take a shower and especially listen to music to be mentally ready. To be able to concentrate mentally.” “I meditate calmly, that’s all, but I don’t have a special ritual,” he explained.
“GENERALLY MY PHYSICAL CAPACITY IS GOOD”
Stating that if he were not a football player, he would be in another sport, the experienced football player said, “I would still be in sports, in another sport, because I am very strong. My physical capacity is generally good. I think I would be involved in athletics. I also think I would be successful in basketball, volleyball or handball. Karate.” For example, these are the sports I love. It depends on you investing in your body and making time. I am a practical person, but a desk job is a different profession, but I would like to be more active. “I would do anything,” he said.
Stating that he loves Trabzon, that it is a natural city, Simon Banza said, “The food is very delicious, I eat well here. My favorite is kunefe. I am really happy to be here. When I go out, I am welcomed very well by people. I am always respected. I feel really good in Trabzon.” “I feel it,” he said.
Listing the best 11 of all time in his opinion, Banza’s list included the following names:
“Casillas, Dani Alves, Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Zidane, Ronaldinho, Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo, Didier Drogba”