Football: “In my head, I am the strongest,” says Derek Kutesa

Thursday morning, Derek Kutesa didn’t have his eyes glued to his phone. Murat Yakin hadn’t called him before. It doesn’t mean anything. So it was better not to worry too much, and go to training with Servette, before the match against Zurich on Saturday (8:30 p.m.).

It was after this session that he learned the good news: he was once again selected for the Swiss team, for the matches against Serbia and Spain last week. It seemed obvious for the top scorer in the Super League (9 goals).

Derek Kutesa, when you found out about your selection, did you feel more joy or relief?

Joy. Not a relief. Maybe my friends, yes. But not me. Because the coach makes choices that are in the direction of the team. We can agree or not, but the Swiss team does not revolve around Derek.

Last month, when you weren’t called, there was a form of disappointment. What did you say to yourself after that?

I told myself I was going to do twice as much. To get everyone to agree, as they say. It’s certain that the second after my non-call-up, as an athlete, I was disappointed. But the next day it was: “This is going to suck” (he smiles).

You even alluded to the Angolan selection, of which you also have dual nationality.

That’s what was going through my mind at the time. As if I was in a club where I didn’t play and I had to find something else, even if it’s not the same. It was not a question of putting pressure on the Swiss team. The Xhaka and the Embolo can perhaps afford it. Not me. But there was no contact with Angola.

In March, in Ireland, you celebrated your first selection. And after that, your performance went down. How do you explain it?

It’s part of Football. Maybe people thought I slacked off after going to the national team. Well, not at all. I think this slump would have come even if I hadn’t been summoned. There are sometimes more complicated times. There it was, with physical fatigue, mental fatigue. This is the daily life of a footballer.

The fact of not having been called up for the Euro, you expected it, so…

I expected it, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to be there. And that I was not disappointed. I was. But honestly, during this period, there was Joël Monteiro who was crazy. And the coach makes his team to win, not to please.

Your start to the season with Servette is undoubtedly not far from the best level you have reached in your career. Where does this come from?

I put more demands into my daily work. In my recovery, in my care, in my diet. Afterwards, there are no secrets. Physically, I feel good. And I’m also lucky to have super strong teammates. This is largely thanks to them.

Were you less careful before?

Maybe I was letting myself go a little. That when I was going through a period a little less well, maybe on Monday, I postponed weight training until Wednesday. And there, no, not at all.

There is a certain determination.

Yeah, right. That’s really it. For example, when we lost against Lausanne, I just gave myself time to digest. But the next day, I didn’t procrastinate and I immediately wanted to get back to work. Maybe it was the mentality that I lacked. Even if I always wanted to get people to agree, this is a little extra thing.

This summer, you had thought about leaving Servette, right?

Honestly, yes. I was thinking about leaving, because I simply have my dreams. So if I say that’s not the case, I’m lying. It didn’t happen, and I wasn’t unhappy. But I didn’t give myself time to think. Because time doesn’t wait.

And you left at a great level, scoring goals. Do you feel stronger now than in the past?

In my head, I am the strongest. And I think that’s something that I’m going to nurture until the end of my career. This is my reality. It’s mine, everyone has their own. But when I go on the pitch, I want to help the guys, I want to help the team win.

Do you tell yourself that nothing is going to stop you?

Almost. Almost, but it’s true. Afterwards, in reality, there is a defender who puts his foot down and takes the ball from me. But in the mentality, it’s “you, I’m going to eat you”.

What is the role of your coach Thomas Häberli in this success?

When he arrived, I had a discussion with him. We already knew each other from Basel, where he was a talent manager. He told me that I’m a great player, that I had a good season last season and that I scored some great goals. But he also told me that I could also score ugly goals, goals that only come when you are hungry for that, hungry to win. Balloons lying around. And today, there are two or three goals that I went for like that.

You are at the end of your contract at the end of the season. When we see your performances, we say to ourselves that you are trying to show off to chase a contract. Is this a truth?

I think about it, it’s clear. As a human and a football player, I have that in my head. But I don’t know what the future will hold. Today, I am open to everything. As much an extension as a transfer.

You recently changed agents.

Yes, but it was a decision that was not linked to the transfer window.

Servette hosts Zurich on Saturday, in a new match at the top. Are you the best team in Super League?

For me, yes. Because we have the best players. Our start to the championship is fairly regular. Afterwards, what we may lack is this champion mentality, which can help us win matches where we are a little less good. The kind of match where everyone says you should lose, but you know how to win it because you scored an old goal with your shin before defending the whole match.