BL-JOURNAL: THE RISE OF SALZBURG'S SMILING ASSASSIN

INTERVIEW: TOM MIDDLER (THE OTHER BUNDESLIGA), PHOTO: GEPA PICTURES

“I love to smile, it’s in my nature, it’s who I am“ beamed a young Patson Daka in his earlier days at Red Bull Salzburg, but after being crowned best player, top scorer, Bundesliga champion and ÖFB Cup winner all in one stunning campaign, it’s safe to say that the 2020/2021 season has given the Zambian striker more reasons than ever to flash his pearly whites with his trademark grin. Twenty seven reasons, you could say, as Da- ka’s 27 goals in 28 appearances this season steered his side to more silverware, and brought him a pair of precious individual accolades as well.

It’s not like Patson Daka is a stranger to success, nobody at Red Bull Salzburg is these days, but when you think of what he’s been through on his way to the very top of Austrian football, it’s hard not to be happy for the man with the irresistible smile. His lightning fast pace helped him begin his long journey towards lifting trophies in Austria, and it wasn’t just on the football field that it enabled him to stand out, it helped in an unexpected way during his school days, too. “I was having an exam and I didn’t know anything about the football trials that were going on, lucky enough my school was right behind the stadium... I had to rush home, pick up my boots, go back, and then I played“ Daka told his club in a recent one on one. After getting into the action, just ten minutes later the teenage Daka was taken out of the game.

Whilst an early substitution is usually a bad sign, on this occasion the scouts had already seen enough of his prodigious striking talents to sign him up. The story of Patson Daka’s incredible success was not finalised there though, his father’s death meant that Daka was driven to support his family from an early age. His determination to turn a tragic experience into one of personal growth meant that the decision to pursue professional football wasn’t as simple as it may have seemed. Daka’s performances at Kafue Celtic FC earned him the recognition of the Zambian youth teams, but when he reflected upon his pivotal choice to leave home and play abroad he said: “It was a moment of me deciding whether to go with the team, or to go to school... My first option was to write my exams, but what my family told me changed my life. They told me that this was my opportunity to get out of the country. and if you can make it in Zambia, you can make it anywhere!“

It’s easy to say now that thanks to his passion, dedication and work ethic, that brave decision undoubtedly paid off for Patson, who ended up finding conditions surprisingly comfortable upon his arrival in Austria, having become accustomed to training for hours on end in the sweltering Zambian heat. What also came naturally to him in his new homeland was finding his shooting boots. Not long after his arrival in Austria, he helped fire Salzburg to a remarkable UEFA Youth League win back in2017, with precious late goals against FC Barcelona in the semi-final and SL Benfica in the final, seeing him named by the African Football Confederation [CAF] as the continent’s „Young Player of the Year“ that very same season.

After scooping such a prestigious award, the pressure was suddenly heaped onto the shoulders of ayoung Daka, but he wasn’t about to let that stand in the way of success on the European stage. “Everyone has dreamed of having this opportunity, and for me to be given this opportunity, I don’t take it for granted“, in fact, his smiley persona is far from being an act, it also plays its part in his performances; “That’s my personality, it helps me to think about the good things and not focus on the bad things.“

A younger Daka would not be drawn when his club asked him about the inevitable comparisons between himself and some of Africa’s greatest talents: “For me personally, I wouldn’t say that I’ve achieved so much to be put in the same shoes as Didier Drogba or Samuel Eto’o, because they are players that have brought so much glory to their nations; the likes of former [Zambia] captain Christopher Katongo, players who have really achieved so much. For me, I feel that I still have a lot of things to do, especially for my country.“

Whilst his international ambitions may still lie ahead of him, he’s most likely got many years left in the game, and yet already his trophy cabinet at club level is starting to resemble a small museum. With four Bundesliga titles and three Austrian Cups to add to the UEFA Youth League trophy and his CAF „Young Player of the Year“ prize, this season’s Golden Boot and Bundesliga „Best Player“ awards leave him in rarefied air for such a young player. He’s now firmly following in the footsteps of the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Erling Haaland, Konrad Laimer, Naby Keita and Jonathan Soriano; all „Best Player“ winners in the Bundesliga with Salzburg, and all players who have gone on to make their mark on European club football in one way or another.

Upon being named the league’s stand-out performer at the end of a gruelling and unusual Bundesliga campaign, Daka kept his feet firmly on the ground, as those who know him would expect: “I’m very proud of this, and I have to thank all the club presidents, the managers and the trainers at the clubs for choosing me.“ He also took time to recognise those who have pulled on the shirt alongside him this season, and those who have helped him continue his incredible rate of development: “The biggest thanks go to my teammates and all the coaching staff, and I dedicate this award to them.“

Vocabulary

pearly whites / perlweiße Zähne
accolade / die Auszeichnung
irresistible / unwiderstehlich
to enable / etwas ermöglichen
prodigious (talent) / das Wunderkind
determination / die Bestimmtheit / die Hartnäckigkeit
to pursue / etwas verfolgen
recognition / die Anerkennung
pivotal (moment / decision) / der Wendepunkt
undoubtedly / zweifellos
(to become) accustomed (to something) / sich an etwas gewöhnen
sweltering (heat) / die brütende Hitze
scooping (an award) / einen Preis abräumen
heaped / angehäuft
(to be) drawn / dazu verleitet werden
inevitable / unvermeidbar
to resemble (something) / etwas ähneln
(to be in) rarefied air / sich in dünner Luft befinden
pace / das Tempo / die Schnelligkeit
Golden Boot (winner) / der Torschützenkönig

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Dieser Text ist in der Saisonrückblicks-Ausgabe 20/21 des Bundesliga-Journals erschienen. Die aktuelle Ausgabe mit sämtlichen Geschichten, Interviews und den Stories zu allen Bundesliga-Klubs erhalten Sie im Zeitschriftenhandel oder bequem und preiswert im Abo: https://www.bundesliga.at/de/medien/bundesliga-journal/journal-abo/