Makoumbou with “Il Corriere dello Sport”

In the last match, he reached the milestone of 100 appearances with the Cagliari shirt: Franco-Congolese midfielder Antoine Makoumbou exclusively shared his emotions with ‘Il Corriere dello Sport,’ providing a first assessment of his experience on the Island. Below are his words:

FROM PARIS TO SARDINIA
“My parents moved from Brazzaville, the capital of Congo, in search of opportunities. Europe offers more job prospects compared to Africa. In France, in Villejuif, a suburb of Paris, my father ran a bakery: he raised me, my brother, and two sisters while working hard. Racism? Like everywhere, it hurts, but I’ve gotten used to letting it slide off me. A couple of times, it happened even last season on away games, not from my opponents, but from the fans. It’s certainly not pleasant. In Cagliari? Well, here they are Africans like me! (Laughs heartily). Sardinia is a very welcoming island, a mix of Mediterranean cultures.”

THE LOVE FOR CAGLIARI
“When the call from Cagliari came, I had no clear idea of where Sardinia was exactly. I knew the team, though, thanks to Playstation and having seen them play on TV. When I was signed, I was happy. And today, I can say that I like everything about this city, especially the climate. Life is good here, and I’ve reached 100 games with this shirt. A great achievement that gives me the strength to keep going and to keep improving.”

THE COACH’S CONFIDENCE
‘I feel the respect of the coach, he gives me a lot of advice. It’s a blessing to have such a knowledgeable coach. The goal? I think about it often, I know it will come. Staying up? We’re on the right path, we know it won’t be easy, but we have confidence and the certainty that we can still grow.’