An Interview with Karin Muya of San Marino Academy

Want to practice your Italian? Click here to read an Italian translation of this interview

The Cult of Calcio continues its journey in the world of women’s football meeting some of the protagonists of the Serie A Femminile: This week, we had a talk with Karin Muya of San Marino Academy.

Aged 25, Karin has already had multiple playing experiences in several countries, finally landing in Italy in February 2020. His first experience with Orobica in Bergamo was a short one due to the Covid-19 outbreak, but when the competitions restarted she eventually joined the representative of micro-state San Marino as they made their debut in the Italian women’s top-flight this season.

Here is what Karin had to say about herself and her experience as a footballer.

Cult of Calcio: Hello Karin! Would you tell us something about yourself and when did you realize Football was more than just a hobby?

Karin: I am 25 years old and was born and raised in South London. I grew up playing many sports like football, athletics, and netball whilst studying and went to university in the U.S. to continue playing football. I realized football was more than just a hobby after I graduated from university and wanted to continue to play football full time at the semi-professional or professional level. I wanted it to be a career path for me as I had dedicated much of my life to the sport.

Cult of Calcio: We know that you’re a striker blessed with incredible pace and strength. But could you tell us more about your football style and those who inspired it?

Karin: I would say I don’t have a specific style of play, I think I play simple and play what’s on, I like to make the simple pass or dribble if there is space. When the ball is at my feet I try to slow the game down. Keeping possession and creating positive chances are important for me. I think my playing style has changed and evolved to correspond to the team I am playing in and the role I play. Growing up I admired strikers in the English premier league like Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney. Currently, I like the way Romelu Lukaku plays, he uses his strength and pace well to score chances and is very dangerous on the ball.

Cult of Calcio: You started playing football at a very young age. You played in England, the U.S., France, and Italy. Can you take us through your career path?

Karin: I grew up playing at Chelsea Centre of Excellence from the U-10s age group through to U-17s and then transitioned to play with the Chelsea Ladies First and Reserves teams. I then played in the U.S. at Notre Dame University in the ACC conference in the NCAA. After graduating at the end of 2018, I briefly played for a Division 2 team in France before moving to Italy to play in Series A with Orobica for two short months and now this season I am at San Marino Academy.

Cult of Calcio: Based on your experience in several countries, what are the major differences that you noticed between playing football in the U.S.A., the UK, France, and finally Italy? Specifically, what’s your impression of the Serie A Femminile while you’re in your second season?

Karin: In the US the game is more physical and faster and relies on athleticism. In the UK the game is more tactical and technical and you have more time on the ball. I would say France is also similar to the UK from my experience. In Italy the speed of play seems to be much faster especially the transition between units and the way teams move the ball and apply pressure.

Cult of Calcio: We rarely see English players making the move to Italian football. So what prompted you to make this decision and play for Orobica?

Karin: I struggled to settle into a team in England in the top division and was encouraged to gain more playing experience abroad to develop myself as a player for a season or two. I felt like a change of environment and new experience would also help me develop as football player and as a person. So, when I was presented with the opportunity to play in series A I was excited and grateful.

Cult of Calcio: From Orobica to San Marino Academy. What are San Marino’s goals for the current season? And what can you tell us about your start of this season?

Karin: Our current team’s goals are to continue to improve each week and continue building together and growing as a team with each performance. I think we are currently doing very well considering it is our first season in the league and things are finally coming together. The start of our season was tough because we had a very difficult schedule of teams at the very beginning which forced us to learn some tough lessons. I think we have learned from these mistakes now and have been playing well this past few weeks and I am excited for the next set of games.

Cult of Calcio: If you had to choose one or more of your teammates at the San Marino Academy, who would you back to become an icon of Italian Football?

Karin: There are many good players who are promising on our team, right now Azzurra Corazzi shows great talent for her age and I think she will continue to develop into a great player. Viola Brambilla is also a very strong midfielder with good technical ability and tactical understanding and will grow into a leader. Alessia Venturini is a very strong defender and my Japanese teammate Shino Kunisawa is very technically gifted. Finally, Gloria Ciccoli is a brilliant goal keeper who has immense skill and will continue to develop. There are others too that I think with more experience and playing time will shine this season.

Cult of Calcio: Who do you think will win the current Serie A Femminile season?

Karin: Juventus and Milan are consistently strong and will for sure be contenders, Empoli have had an impressive start. Sassuolo are also doing very well currently.

Cult of Calcio: Who’s the Best football player in women Serie A in your eyes?

Karin: Refiloe Jane from Milan and Aurora Galli from Juventus are very good in midfield who I have recognized this season. It is still too early to say but both are very impressive midfielders.

Cult of Calcio: Any final message you would like to send to your fans?

Karin: Thanks for the continued support and stay tuned!