Musa: Giving everything for Bosnia team, Real fans will see me at my best

"I’m 100 percent ready—maybe not physically, but mentally, I’m here. I’m ready to give my best to try and qualify for EuroBasket. That is why we’re here. As for me, I’ve had this ankle injury for a long time, maybe two months. First, it was one ankle, now the other. It has been a series of unfortunate events, but I’m here, ready to give my all."

Musa emphasized that this Bosnia team is more determined than ever to not only qualify but also leave a lasting mark at the European Championship.

"Since I’ve been here—maybe nine or ten years—the national team has never been more seriously focused on accomplishing a goal than now. I think we deserve to qualify for EuroBasket, but we all know there can be no euphoria. We must approach the game with the utmost seriousness. What happens in Croatia is another matter, but we are focused on our court, and I hope we will finish the game in our favour and then turn to see what happened in Croatia against France. I hope everyone understands how serious the situation is and how far we can go at EuroBasket if we qualify. I think we all know how much talent we have and what we can achieve."

Musa also spoke about Xavier Castaneda, the newly naturalized player joining the team.

"Castaneda is a quiet guy. I try to stay in touch with him, and he is opening up. We’re from the same agency, and we talked a bit before he joined the team. He’s a great guy who is ready to give his all for this national team. That’s what matters to us—that someone comes in and is aware of where he’s arrived. We’re a collective here; there are no individuals. It doesn’t matter if I play for Real or if someone else plays somewhere else. We are building a system where there are no individuals. We all want to win as a team, and the team is the most important thing. Bosnia and Herzegovina comes before everyone. He’s fit in well, and I hope that will show tomorrow and, of course, on Monday against France."

Musa added that Castaneda has already received a "domestic" nickname.

"We now call him Xavi, but during the game, we’ll come up with one that is easier and more recognizable."

Speaking about Bosnia's next opponent, Cyprus, Musa acknowledged their underdog status but stressed that the team must remain fully focused.

"We just talked about that. Cyprus is the underdog, let’s not lie to ourselves. We are much better than them, but inside these four lines, anything can happen. However, if we approach the game seriously, as we plan to, anything but a convincing victory would be a failure for us. We will take this game as seriously as if we were playing in the EuroBasket final because we understand the gravity of the situation and hope to finish the job properly."

Bosnia and Herzegovina fans will also keep an eye on the game in Zadar, where Croatia faces France. If Bosnia beats Cyprus and Croatia loses, Bosnia and Herzegovina will qualify directly for EuroBasket. Musa, however, believes Croatia still has a chance, despite the absence of key players Luka Bozic and Danko Brankovic.

"Anything’s possible. A small gym, home court… I think they’re in a state of euphoria because this is their chance to qualify for EuroBasket—or to lose. We saw that we could beat France even when they had their strongest lineup with all their NBA players. As you said, anything is possible in basketball. We’ll focus on what we can do and then check the result afterwards. But even if Croatia beats France, I have a feeling, and I believe in my teammates, that we can go to France and win."

Musa has repeatedly stated that he is a patriot who puts his homeland above everything. This time was no different.

"I have no other country, and I proudly wear the national crest on my heart. This may sound like a commercial statement, but I honestly feel that. In my family, we always talk about where we’ll live after my career is over. We’ll live in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I don’t even think about the cities we’ve lived in so far—Istanbul, New York, Madrid, where I live now. Every city is beautiful, but nowhere does my heart feel full like when I cross the border and enter Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is something special to me, especially for the people here, for whom life is not always easy. There are so many problems. We come here to bring them joy and show that, even though we left and achieved great things, we can still return and fight for this country because we have no other. Against Croatia, I played with four torn ligaments. People didn’t understand how I even walked. But somehow, we wrapped it up, bandaged it, and managed to do what we did."

Lately, however, injuries have slowed him down, and Real Madrid fans—accustomed to seeing their team consistently win major trophies—have criticized his recent performances. What they didn’t realize was that Musa had been playing through injuries to both legs, making it impossible to perform at his best.

"I was at 30-40 percent during the Copa del Rey. Every move to my left in a fast break was only on one leg. I could only put a little weight on my left foot because of the pain. I had so many therapies and injections over three days just to play and to be able to join the national team. I’ve been in Real Madrid for three years. I think I’ve shown everything I needed to—through awards, titles, and everything else I’ve done. I don’t need to prove my commitment to the club anymore. Everything that happens now, whatever people write or say… we know how fans and journalists are. When things go well, everything is great. If things go wrong for two days, there are doubts, speculation… But if we’re being honest, I have nothing left to prove. I’ve shown everything in these three years—or four, if you count my first year in Lugo. It’s not easy to be the MVP of the strongest league in Europe and make the All-EuroLeague First Team."

Returning to his injuries, Musa detailed their severity.

"I injured both legs, so now I’m balancing things out," he said with a laugh. "The right ankle was hurt in the game against Croatia. The whole ankle was practically gone. Of the four ligaments in the ankle, all four were torn. I also had a bone contusion, so it was literally a question of whether I could play or not. The latest injury is milder, but it happened just ten days ago, so it’s still fresh. I still have bruises, and I work every day with my physiotherapists, Amer and Elko, whom I thank for taking care of me. I do two or three therapy sessions a day with them. They’re always there for me, and without them, I wouldn’t be able to play tomorrow. With their help, I hope everything will be okay."

Musa took a moment to address Real Madrid fans, promising to return to top form as soon as his injuries heal.

"I’m not someone who likes to argue—that’s not my style. I show everything on the court. But it’s not easy to read things that aren’t true. Sometimes, you wonder how quickly people forget. But I know who I am and what I have done. Once I recover—or actually, starting tomorrow—I am sure that the old version of me will be back, and I will be ready to dominate on the court."