Udinese, Hassane Kamara: “This year will be one of the best seasons of my career”

French Football Weekly: why did you choose to join Udinese in August 2023?

Hassane Kamara : I was with Watford in the Championship (English D2) and Udinese knocked on my door. The proposal was interesting, because it allowed me to discover a brand new championship, Serie A. I didn’t really know the club or the championship. But in the end, I was pleasantly surprised by the facilities, the quality of the matches… We still had a very difficult season (15th place during the 2023-2024 season), but it allowed me to grow, to learn more for my first season in Italy. And today, our start to the season is successful and I hope it continues like this.

FM: since your arrival, you are no longer a left back, but rather a piston. Does this higher positioning on the pitch appeal to you?

H.K. : I really appreciate this new role, it gives me more freedom to attack. Before arriving in Italy, I had never played as a piston. I was aligned most of the time in four-man defenses. And I think that now, the defensive aspect when you are a left back is no longer that important. If we look at the best in their position in the world, it is more their offensive qualities that make them the best. So, by playing piston, I am more focused forward and that helps me show what I can do in the offensive phase. This is what will allow me to take a step forward. Kosta Runjaic (Udinese coach) gives me a lot of freedom: he wants me to be high and participate in the game even more.

“ I think this year will be one of the best seasons of my career »

FM: are we going to be treated to the best version of Hassane Kamara this season?

H.K. : for now, it’s set to be the case. Collectively, we started our season very well. Concerning myself only, I feel better and better. Little by little, I am integrating the framework of this locker room. I really think that this year will undoubtedly be one of the best seasons of my career.

FM: twelve new players arrived at Udinese during the summer transfer window. A mix of young players and more experienced players, like Alexis Sánchez. The club also has several French or French-speaking players in its ranks, such as Florian Thauvin. What relationship do you have with them?

H.K. : Alexis Sánchez was injured, so I didn’t have the chance to spend much time with him. Concerning the “French”, it’s not just Florian Thauvin. We can count Christian Kabasele (former teammate at Watford, arrived this summer) or Arthur Atta (arrived on loan from FC Metz), who also have very good qualities. It’s always a plus to have several French-speaking players on the team because it allows you to communicate more easily. Especially when you arrive in a new country, it’s never easy. I have my little group with the French speakers, of which Florian is a part, and it helps me to have an “easier” daily life.

FM: Florian Thauvin has been preselected for Didier Deschamps’ next list. Are you surprised by his remarkable start to the season and this possible return to the French team?

H.K. : quite honestly, really not. He has always been a very good player. Now, football is a complicated environment, it’s far from simple every day. He had a difficult period in Mexico (Tigres de Monterrey, between July 2021 and January 2023). But since I’ve been there, I’ve always found it efficient. Some will focus on the statistics, but if you look closely at his matches from last season and put together a montage of all his actions, people will see that he is still in good shape. Given that we are high in the ranking and that he has been decisive (three goals and an assist in five games), he is a little more publicized and he has the chance to be pre-selected. That’s great for him, but frankly, it doesn’t surprise anyone here. He was even given the number 10 and the captain’s armband, it’s not for nothing.

FM: what are the club’s objectives this season in Serie A?

H.K. : we have to remain calm and aware, so I would say that we are playing to stay in Serie A. We will try to have the 40 points necessary to stay in the elite, as quickly as possible. And if that’s the case, we’ll allow ourselves to think about something else. Last year, we secured our continuation on the very last day of the championship by scoring 15 minutes from the end of the match (goal by Keinan Davis, against Frosinone; 0 – 1). This year, we will try to take shelter as quickly as possible. And if we succeed in doing that, we will plan on something else later. We want to do things step by step.

“ Dybala, one of the best players I have faced in my career »

FM: Which players impressed you the most in Serie A?

H.K. : Paulo Dybala (AS Roma), I didn’t think he was so strong. He knows how to do everything with the ball: how to protect it, direct the game, he is fast and very good technically… He is a complete attacker. He is one of the best players I have faced in my career. Joshua Zirkzee (ex-Bologna, now at Manchester United) surprised me with his technical ease despite his size. Also Matiás Soulé (loaned to Frosinone from Juventus last season, now at AS Roma), he is a great player.

FM: You played in the Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Championship. What is the toughest championship in your opinion?

H.K. : by far, the English championship. I will then put Serie A ahead of Ligue 1. If we look at the European scene, it is obvious that the Italian championship is better than the French league. Myself, before discovering Serie A, I thought that it was not that big of a championship. But honestly, it’s beautiful. On top of that, Italy is a real football country. Stadiums, regardless of the teams, are often full. You play against lots of great teams: Napoli, Atalanta, Fiorentina, AC Milan… And I would put the Championship last.

FM: one of your former teammates at Watford in the Championship, Ismaël Koné, joined Olympique de Marseille this summer. What do you think of his transfer to OM?

H.K. : he is a young player who already has experience on the international scene with his selection (24 caps with Canada). It’s a quality environment. He is good technically, he has good physical prowess and he has a strong projection capacity. So no, it didn’t surprise me that much to see that Marseille were interested in him and recruited him. On the contrary, I was very happy for him and I hope he will continue to gain experience.

“ Reims is the most important adventure of my career »

FM: you played at the Stade de Reims between 2015 and 2020, how do you judge your adventure in Reims?

H.K. : it’s the most important adventure of my career because I’ve already done five years and it’s there that I learned everything, it’s there that I forged myself as a professional . I’ve had difficult times, but I’ve also gained a lot of experience. It was in Reims that I became a left-back, even though I was a left midfielder by training. It was from the year of our Ligue 2 title (2018) that my position changed.

FM: did your signing in Nice in July 2020 allow you to take the next step in your career?

H.K. : obviously, since we were playing Europe! Nice is a club which had other ambitions, I reached a milestone. It was a great period in my career, because it was a great club with great facilities and which allowed me to meet great people. I made my debut on the European scene, so of course I had a great time at the Gym.

FM: who do you see winning the French championship this season?

H.K. : for this year, I can see Paris Saint-Germain finishing as champions once again. You can never predict the perfect result in advance. For example, we didn’t think that Lille was going to finish champion three years ago. We thought they were going to crack and, in the end, they finished first.

“ I am a player available for selection »

FM: your last selection with Ivory Coast dates back to November 2023. Do you still have the Elephants in the back of your mind?

H.K. : Of course ! I am still a player available for selection, so if I am called upon, I will be available. If the coach (Émerse Faé) doesn’t do it, that means that it’s up to me to work hard and perform well to get back there. But yes, I am always available. (For information, he was selected by Émerse Faé on September 27 for the next Elephants meetings)

FM: Unfortunately you were not selected for CAN 2024 at home, how did you experience the Elephants’ triumph?

H.K. : it was my friends who were playing, so I had a lot of emotions when they won. There was this unfortunate scenario at the start, with the defeat against Equatorial Guinea (0-4, in the group stage), but they got up and went all the way to lift this cup. It was very nice to see and I was very proud of them. I would have liked to be part of this gang, but it’s football.

FM: At 30, the majority of your career is already behind you. What goals do you still have to achieve in football?

H.K. : I have never felt so good physically in my career. My goal is to make the most of it, to try to exploit my qualities as much as possible and to see how far I can go. I’m hungry and I don’t set any limits for myself.