Marcin Bułka: Nice’s Penalty Specialist
Club: OGC Nice
Nationality: Poland
Position: GK
Preferred Foot: Right
Height: 6’6”/199cm
Age: 24
Strengths: presence, shot-stopping, ball-playing, line-breaking passes, composure, penalties
Areas for Development: weak foot
At 24 years of age, Marcin Bułka has already developed his skills at Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, but it wasn’t until making the move to OGC Nice that he has been able to announce himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe. A colossal presence at 6’6″, he is a superb shot stopper, a penalty-saving specialist and a ball-playing keeper, and it’s seemingly only a matter of time before he departs the Allianz Riviera for greener pastures.
Nice began the 2023/24 season with a lengthy unbeaten run and one of the best defensive records in Europe, and whilst they trailed off in the second half of the campaign, they nevertheless finished fifth and qualified for Europe. Bułka registered the most clean sheets (17) in Ligue 1, whilst only PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma (0.8) conceded fewer goals per game than the Polish international (0.9).
Jean-Clair Todibo Shining at the Allianz Riviera for OGC Nice
At 6’6”, Bułka towers above others and is physically strong — you won’t see him get pushed about in his own box. There’s a sense of control and ownership of his box when he’s in goal. It’s HIS area and you can’t push him about. This dominance shines throughout so many areas. Claiming crosses, saving one-on-ones, shot-stopping. Nice’s defence is so well organised and solid and once you break them down, Bułka is the final boss you have to face. He stays mentally alert and is a vocal leader at the back.
Marcin Bułka is a quality shot stopper who boasts the 9th-best save percentage in Europe’s top five leagues with 77.1%, boasting a huge wingspan that allows him to stretch further and fill up the goal. He’s also saved the most penalties (3) in Europe this season, level alongside Unai Simón, Oliver Baumann, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Álvaro Vallés.
He’s risen to the occasion in the biggest moments, saving two penalties to knock out holders PSG from the Coupe de France in a shootout, whilst he also saved two penalties from Folarin Balogun to secure a 1-0 derby win against local rivals Monaco. Moreover, Bułka is an exceptional passer of the ball who’s very composed on the ball when under pressure and executes passes well.
Nice typically build out from the back rather than booting it long, and as such, it’s vital that Bułka can remain stoic under pressure and pass out from the back, beating the press with line-breaking passes. Bułka passes with not too much backlift which allows him to judge the weight of pass well and not overhit them to reach the intended target accurately.
However, he could be better on his weaker foot in terms of controlling more difficult passes and returning them. On the ball, he’s confident, albeit a tad heavy in terms of his first touch, but he’s capable of executing his passes and keeping the build-up play flowing.
As is the case with a lot of goalkeeper, his path to regular first-team football hasn’t been an easy one. Bułka was signed by Chelsea as a 16-year-old from FCB Escola Varsovia in 2016 and stayed at Cobham academy for three years before joining PSG on a free transfer. From that point, he went on three different loans: first to FC Cartagena, then LB Châteauroux, and finally to OGC Nice who then agreed to sign him permanently for €2m in 2022.
Having escaped the shadow of Donnarumma, Bułka has thrived in southern France and earned a maiden call-up to the Polish national team in November. Between Łukasz Fabiański, Łukasz Skorupski, Kamil Grabara, Bartłomiej Drągowski, Kacper Tobiasz and Aleksander Bobek, Poland are certainly no stranger to producing top goalkeepers, and all signs point to him succeeding Wojciech Szczęsny in goal for the senior team.
A stellar ball-playing keeper who is an imposing presence, a monster shot-stopped and a penalty specialist, Bułka is more than capable of taking the baton from 34-year-old Szczęsny, who looks set to depart Juventus this summer following the arrival of Michele Di Gregorio. Nice have already lost manager Francesco Farioli to Ajax and star midfielder Khéphren Thuram to Juventus, and there’s reason to believe that Bułka will become the next one to depart the Allianz Riviera this summer.
By: Ben Mattinson / @Ben_Mattinson_
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Catherine Steenkeste / Getty Images