Since your arrival at OGC Nice in the summer of 2021, you've been playing one game after another, but you've probably never performed as well as you have at the start of the season. Is that how you feel too?
"It's true that I've been feeling good since the start of the season. After that, there have been good things and bad things since I arrived, but the balance sheet is positive, because in those two seasons Nice ended up with the best defence and the second-best defence in the league, which shows a certain level of performance both collectively and individually. But yes, this season is better. The team and I are doing well. We need to keep going in that direction!"

'We knew Marcin Bulka had talent'

Do you feel you've made progress?
"Yes, totally. I've been working hard since I arrived in Nice. I think I've improved in a number of areas, particularly in terms of my attacking contribution, and that's been evident at the start of the season. I've taken on more responsibility and have more self-confidence. I've also learned tactically and defensively... I still need to improve but that will come with time."

Last season, OGC Nice finished with the 2nd best defence and an average of just under a goal conceded per game. This season, you've done even better, conceding just 4 goals in 11 games. How have you managed to be even more solid?
"We've managed to be even more rigorous and I'd particularly like to pay tribute to the work of the strikers, who are the first line of defence. It's really the work of the whole team that means we're holding up so well at the back. We've also been working together for several seasons now, with the same core of players, so we know each other even better. And then, of course, there's the coach's touch."

In the defensive sector, there's one player who's particularly impressive because he hasn't had much game time at the highest level until now, Marcin Bulka...
"He's one hell of a keeper! A hell of a keeper, not only because of his height, but also because of the confidence he exudes. He talks to his defenders a lot, which is really good for us. When he started at the beginning of the season, we weren't worried because we knew he had talent and we knew what he was capable of. He's made a very good start to the season and he's saved our blushes several times from penalties. In any case, there's no secret to the fact that you need a really good goalkeeper to get results."

'Farioli is a stickler for detail'

You mentioned the contribution of your coach, Francesco Farioli. Can you tell us more about him?
"First of all, he's a very young coach. He's very rigorous and very precise. It's all about the details with him. He makes us watch a lot of video, to analyse our collective and individual performances, our opponents... I've never watched so much video before [smiles]. I can also tell you that he's an ambitious coach and someone who is very close to his players. What are his principles? He wants us to have possession, to create overlaps to find free men and move forward quickly. Without the ball, he wants us to win the ball back high up the pitch and as quickly as possible, thanks to heavy pressing from the whole team, not forgetting his defensive rigour."

What does he ask his full-backs to do?
"He asks us to get into the heart of the game a bit, like midfielders, to find different lines of passing and create shifts. He also asks us to do a lot of running and peeling off. He asks a lot of us offensively and defensively, but it's the same for every position, not just the full-backs."

Francesco Farioli is unusual in that he studied philosophy several years ago. Does he use it in his day-to-day work with you?
"I suppose he does, but not directly. What's certain is that he's added his own personal touch and that we're all behind it. I don't remember him pulling out any quotes from philosophers or giving us any reading advice, but that must be part of his coaching style. And we can see that it works!"

>> Montpellier-Nice preview: Farioli looking to extend Europe's longest unbeaten run