Former TTA player Sydney Ligunya is loving life in Europe. Sydney got offered the opportunity to join our partner academy FC Malaga City (Spain) after impressing in our Incubator Program. We caught up with him recently and he talked to us about life in Spain; his highlights, struggles, and plenty more.
Food has a great influence on how we adapt to new environments, so it was only right to start the interview with a question about food. That’s why they pay us the big bucks, for moments like this!
Q1. Favourite Spanish dish?
My favorite Spanish dish would most definitely be the paella.
(Looking at this, we’d see why as well! What an appetizing way to start this interview)
Keeping in line with the hard-hitting questions, we had one more difficult one.
Q2. Paella or Chapati?
Definitely Chapati (No hesitation whatsoever)
Q3. What’s the best thing about Spain?
The weather here in Spain is for me the best thing and how they embrace their culture.
Q4. Malaga beaches or Kenyan beaches?
I still think Kenyan beaches are the best in the world but Malaga beaches are beautiful.
Q5. Biggest culture shock?
Food has been my biggest culture shock . (Again, back to where it all started)
Q6. What’s a day for you like?
I wake up at about 6.45 in the morning, say a prayer, then do my general personal hygiene. After that, I have my protein shake – which consists of banana, blueberry, milk, and honey. I then go to the gym to do some cardio work just to start up my day. Training most of the time starts at 9 am so I go train for about 2 hours.
Depending on the day, my program usually ends at 2 pm. I then usually still have futsal with some of my teammates to just improve my technical side of the game because there’s always something to improve. Then I have to prepare myself for Spanish classes which usually happen from 4 pm to 6 pm. I still have university assignments that I have to do so I embark on that right before dinner which is at 8 pm.
Q7. What are matchdays like?
These are the most intense days! Everyone’s locked in and focused. I have a certain routine that I do before my games especially when it comes to food. I have to make myself pancakes which I’ve done for the past 2 years, then I pray and just listen to music. (The highlight was intentional)
Q8. Best moment so far for you in Spain?
My best moment for me was playing in La cartuja stadium in Sevilla which is one of Spain’s national stadiums
Q9. Major differences between football in Spain vs Kenya
Football in Spain is very technical and focuses on short passing, patience, and a very high emphasis on keeping possession while Kenyan football is more direct.
Q10. What surprised you the most about the football in Spain?
The thing that shocked me the most is how the Spanish style of football which is called tiki-taka is being taught to kids as young as 5 years old thus it’s engraved in the from a very young age.
Q11. Do you get homesick? And how do you deal with that?
I get homesick here and there but for me, it’s not difficult with it cause I’m doing what I love and when I’m on that field playing nothing else out there matters to me
Q12. Hardest part about being in Spain?
Communicating with people, in the beginning, was difficult because not so many people were English speakers. I am currently learning Spanish though and getting better at it. It was difficult going around the city at first because of the language barrier but I can move around now.
Q13. Your first experience with Winter and Summer, how was it?
Winter was one of the worst experiences I had. I was sick most of it and at that point, I was ready to go back home but I managed to pull through. In the summer it gets really hot it’s next to impossible to train and do things without water breaks.