What was it like leaving Mali in 2015 and starting a new life for yourself in Austria?
First of all, the weather was really cold, because I arrived in August, and 1-2 months later, it was winter, it was snowing every day. When you are used to the weather like we have here in Houston, and you’ve got to play 5 or 10 degrees below freezing, it’s really difficult. It took me 6 months to really integrate myself, and I had bad luck because I went to the under-23 qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and then I got injured there. I missed 3 months of competitions, but the people really helped there. You have people from every country, from Asia, from Africa, from the Americas, from everywhere around, which made things really easier for me.
After a sensational chapter in Salzburg, you had the chance to pick from quite a few different suitors. What made you select Hoffenheim?
I had the chance to go to a lot of teams, but for me, it was always about the team that showed the most interest, and they sent a lot of people to speak to my representatives and I. At the time, I was working with Mino Raiola, and he told me, ‘Of course, you’re performing, but you’re doing it in the lesser-known leagues. If you go to another league, it’s better to start with a team where the pressure isn’t as high as opposed to at a bigger club. That’s why I went to Hoffenheim, and my time in the first three seasons was really good, but unfortunately, it became a bit harder as time went on. That’s part of football, you have to accept it and put in the work and wait for whatever chance you get.
