The unbeatable Bulka

Ligue 1 Uber Eats’ player of the month for September is going from strength to strength and repaying the faith shown by Francesco Farioli and the hierarchy at Nice. Just weeks into his reign as manager of Le Gym, Farioli had a difficult choice to make. 

Ousting Schmeichel

Kasper Schmeichel, signed in the summer of 2022 was the uncontested No.1 the previous season, however, in Bulka, there was a goalkeeper that was eager to burst onto the scene. “I said before the first match of the season, against Lille OSC, that I hadn’t decided (between Bulka and Schmeichel),” revealed Farioli ahead of Nice’s victory over Toulouse.  

“I took a long time, right up until the last minute to decide my No.1 because it isn’t a choice to make lightly. We had the talent of Marcin, but also the experience and quality of Kasper. With the staff, we reflected on what we would gain and lose with each option. We chose Marcin for his enthusiasm, his willingness to learn and his potential,” added the Italian manager. Having lost the battle for the No.1 jersey, Schmeichel subsequently left the club on a free transfer. 

Bulka had been eager for a chance to impress. It was this that motivated his previous moves, firstly from Chelsea to PSG and then from PSG to Nice. He is only 24, but he has waited years to make the step to becoming a No.1.

From ‘luxury substitute’ to ‘one of the most watched goalkeepers’

“Patience has played an important role in my career. I was quite patient, but I must confess that sometimes I ran out of patience! But because of that, I am also where I am today. I’m in the place that I want to be,” said the Polish goalkeeper.

Wearing the No.1 jersey is only half the battle – and he fought hard for it – keeping it is another battle entirely, however, Bulka quickly eradicated any doubts. He has conceded just four goals all season and has not conceded since that 3-2 victory over former club PSG in mid-September. 

Farioli believes that his No.1, who has experienced a meteoric rise, is capable of maintaining his level. “In the space of four months, he went from a luxury substitute to one of the most watched goalkeepers in international football. He knows the level that he has to stay at. He is a serious, hard-working boy who has his head well screwed-on,” he said earlier in November. 

Bulka looking to repay faith

It is true that Bulka’s reputation has taken on a new dimension in recent months, and even more so since he became a Poland international during the November international break. “I’m immensely proud. It is something that I dreamed of since I was young,” said Bulka after playing 45 minutes in Poland’s 2-0 victory over Latvia. 

It is his form at Nice that has allowed Bulka to make the step up to international football, and he is looking to repay the faith of the club that gave him the chance that others did not. “I am very happy where I am today. I am not looking elsewhere. This is the club that gave me a chance and I want to repay the confidence that they have shown in me,” said the former PSG shot-stopper. 

“I hope that I don’t remember the feeling of conceding a goal,” joked Bulka, who has not conceded in over 70 days. That unfamiliar feeling will inevitably return one day, but his heroics have already begun to repay the club’s faith and if Nice are to reach their objectives this season, Bulka will play a considerable role in getting them there. 

>> Nice extend unbeaten run with slender victory over Toulouse