Kiwior recalls duel with Haaland: “I felt like I was playing rugby” | OneFootball

Jakub Kiwior, FC Porto’s centre-back, revisited in an interview with Polish channel Sportowy the demanding duel with Erling Haaland and highlighted the Manchester City striker’s physical presence. Despite the unfavorable outcome, he took positive signs from Porto’s response, spoke with humor about the disallowed goals, and assured: “If we correct a few details, we can compete with anyone.”

Used to facing some of the most demanding forwards in European football, Jakub Kiwior found in Haaland a challenge of a very particular kind. Between the Norwegian’s strength and the confidence he felt on the ball, the Polish defender painted a picture of intensity, growth, and ambition.

Recalling the clash with the Manchester City striker, Kiwior did not hide the impact caused by his opponent’s physical power. The image he chose to describe the experience was as direct as it was expressive.

“He is a world-class striker, with hundreds of goals.” That is how he described him, before adding: “When I’m playing at centre-back and I see Haaland running towards me, I feel like I’m playing rugby. He is very strong physically, has excellent positioning, and the ball always seems to find him. He is difficult to mark, but these are the challenges that help us grow.”

The praise was not meant to dramatize the duel, but to underline the standard set by Haaland. For Kiwior, testing himself against that type of striker is also an opportunity to improve.

The result against Manchester City was not the one he wanted, but the centre-back refused to reduce the analysis to the final score. In both his individual performance and the team’s attitude, he found reasons to believe in the Dragons’ ability.

“I felt good with the ball at my feet and confident. When things go well at the start, you gain confidence to take more risks.” Kiwior then highlighted the team’s response: “The result was not the best, but the individual performance and the team’s attitude against a great side are positive signs. If we correct a few details, we can compete with anyone.”

The Pole’s assessment is based on a balance between confidence and self-criticism. There are positive signs to preserve, but also details to correct so that FC Porto can turn good performances into better results.

The two goals disallowed by VAR also came up in the conversation, in a more relaxed tone. Kiwior recalled the celebrations that were cut short and expressed the hope that his next goals will stand when the team need them most, after opening his scoring account in the 4-1 win over Casa Pia.

“After the first goal, they told me I needed to work on my celebration. I’d rather not celebrate too much than make a huge fuss and then have the goal ruled out for offside.” The centre-back recounted the repeated episode with humor: “In the next match I scored, went to celebrate with the fans, and the goal was disallowed again. We laughed about it, but I hope the next goals count when we need them most.”

The lightness with which he spoke about those episodes does not hide his ambition to score again. This time, though, Kiwior hopes he will be able to celebrate without having to wait for a decision that takes the goal away from him.

Away from competition, the defender finds in golf a way to switch off from the demands of football. He discovered it through his agency and Janek, although he admits Bednarek is much better at it.

“I started playing through my agency and Janek. They took me to play after the season and I really liked it.” Kiwior explained what attracts him to the activity: “It’s a great way to switch off from football, spend time outdoors, and relax. Bednarek plays much better than I do, but I enjoy it a lot. It helps clear my head.”

More than the competitive side, it is the chance to decompress that golf offers him. Between the outdoors and the temporary distance from football, Kiwior has found a routine to ease the pressure.

Video games serve a different but equally personal purpose: they help the centre-back stay connected to his friends and to Poland. In that way, gaming becomes a meeting point from afar.

“I play online with friends. It’s a way to stay in touch, talk to people in Poland, and play at the same time,” he concluded.

Between golf and video games, Kiwior looks for balance away from the pitch. They are two different ways to unwind and maintain personal ties while dealing with the demands of competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.