Oulai's dream is the Champions League: Never changed

In the interview featured in this month's issue of Trabzonspor Magazine, Oulai stated that he started football in his home country and said, "I believed at that age that the best job I could do was football, which I love very much, and that's why I was determined. We were experiencing difficulties in many ways, but I never gave up the struggle, I was always full of hope. My dream was to become a top professional footballer and I am working hard to progress on this path. I am still a young player, I have time to achieve the best."

Explaining the process of his transfer to Trabzonspor, the 20-year-old footballer said:

"The Trabzonspor project was a valuable project for me because they had many young players like me. They trusted youngsters. I liked this idea directly. When I learned about the offer and saw their determination in this project, it was not difficult for me to sign. After coming here, I realized better what a right choice I made, I am happy."

- "It is a great honor to be in the national team"

Commenting on Ivory Coast national team coach Emerse Fa's statement that he is "a technical midfielder who sees things before others", Oulai said:

"It's a great honor to be in the national team. I am very motivated and proud to have such praise from the national team coach on top of that. I am very happy because he is a really good coach, we have a father-son, brother-brother relationship. It makes me very happy that he thinks like that. It was a great honor to play for the national team because two years ago I was just a fan, I was at home in my neighborhood. Then I found myself playing in the African Cup of Nations and then I was named player of the match. When I received this award, I was really proud. I dedicated it directly to my family, my mother and everyone who believed in me."

Oulai said that the support of the fans motivates him a lot, "The support of the fans is very effective because just the idea of seeing them in the stadium motivates me. I'm very happy because they give us strength, they cheer for us and I like that, I really like that driving energy behind us."

- "I would like to improve my shooting"

Explaining that the intensity of the contact and duels in the league does not challenge him, the young player continued as follows:

"No, actually it's not difficult because I like physical contact, I really like aggression, this league suits me. It's going well, I'm coping with it. I would like to improve myself in shooting. Because then I will score more goals. Yes, I want to improve my kicking and I'm working on that. I'm a combative, fearless, technical player. I like to play with contact. I'm a bit of a joker on the pitch at times."

Regarding his goals, Oulai said, "My biggest dream in football has never changed, to win the Champions League with the club I play for and to bring a World Cup to my country, Ivory Coast.

Explaining that when things go wrong in football, when they are defeated, he first goes home, Oulai said, "I eat and while I eat I call my father and he consoles me. Then everything goes away. I immediately focus on the next match. I am not a person who cries."

- "I wanted to be a mathematician"

Stating that he would have wanted to be a mathematician if he had not been a footballer, Oulai said:

"Mathematics is with us in every aspect of life, from problem solving to planning, it is the science that allows us to make the right decisions in all kinds of matters and I love this science. Yes, this interest helps me on the field, I often do calculations, I try to adjust the distance, I try to calculate how to receive the ball and how to give it. Mathematics helps in all this. The bottom line is, young people, go to school, education is very important, the benefits are incredible."