The 1. FC Magdeburg fights its way out of the 2nd division cellar, with Baris Atik (31) once again in the spotlight. A day after the home victory against Düsseldorf (2-0), the offensive player put in extra work and sat in front of the cameras in Düsseldorf for the sport show ‘At Broski’. In a talk with YouTuber Simon Schildgen (27/’Gamerbrother’), Atik showed himself as everyone knows him: relaxed, witty, and honest. A footballer who polarizes – and knows exactly how to do that.
Atik about himself: “I’m a little different. I’ve been in a drawer for years among the pros. Sometimes emotions go over the top, but I want to give everything for the team. I have learned to live with it and don’t have to follow the same path as others. It’s important for me to be able to look in the mirror and impress myself.”
This sounds like someone who is far from finished. Atik has a goal that drives him: “I have made many mistakes in the past and got in my own way. But I am very convinced that I can play in the Bundesliga, that I have the quality.”
In the TV studio, he also talks about the lowest point of his career: several months of unemployment before joining 1. FC Magdeburg in early 2021. A time that has left its mark. “I learned back then that talent is not everything and that you have to behave like a professional. But I don’t think about the past.”
Currently, Magdeburg is fighting against relegation. However, the team leader remains optimistic about the last four matchdays: “We didn’t plan to be at the top again. After Coach Titz’s era, we knew it would be a difficult season. We lost many key players and 60 scorer points. We are still in the thick of it, it still doesn’t look very good. But we are pretty confident that we will make it in the end.”
In the offensive department, Mateusz Zukowski (24) is a standout goalscorer with 17 goals in 18 games. Atik has already provided seven assists. “In general, it’s a paradise for the strikers because we create many chances. It’s all about the quality of the strikers: if they take them, they will rightly be hyped.”
A funny story about striker Zukowski’s journey to the top: Atik remembers the early days of the Polish player, originally signed as a defender. “At first, we didn’t know what kind of guy he was or even his name. He was never in the dressing room, just doing his rehab. And then he could only speak Polish, now he speaks English as well. During some training, he shot the ball so hard that the goalkeepers didn’t know where it was. Our coach immediately said he had nothing to do as a right-back but should move forward. Now he is a top scorer and everyone is talking about him.”
