The Parisian coach took stock at a press conference after the victory against Celtic on Tuesday, at the Parc des Princes (4-0), and three days before the final of the Coupe de France, Friday against the Greens.
At the Parc des Princes
Heads already at ASSE this Tuesday : “Maybe… It’s Tuesday. We’re playing on Friday, we only have two days off. In my head, it’s also normal for me … But I’m still happy. We do serious things, we won again, we scored four goals without conceding. But yes, I didn’t expect us to play 100% like in the final. This is the last phase of the preparation for this final. We were playing against a very strong team, Celtic, it’s not easy to play against this formation. I am happy.”
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PSG physically ready : “Yes. We made decisions to add volume to training and playing 45 minutes per group even today. We have prepared things in the best way and we are just ready for the moment and for Friday. We have done very well for four and a half weeks. The most important thing was to arrive without injury. All we need are Abdou Diallo and Juan Bernat (see elsewhere). It’s too bad. The goal is to arrive with a fresh head and legs on Friday, in a good atmosphere and in good shape. We’re ready to play that game. It will be the first competitive game. It’s always special. And I have a feeling that we are ready. “
“Mbappé? It’s a gift to work with him ”
Kylian Mbappé who confirms to stay in 2020-21 : “He is under contract in Paris. We’re not ready to sell guys. It is super important. He’s a key player, he’s our player. It’s a gift to work with him and players like Kylian, “Ney”, Angel, Mauro, Marco, Leo, Marqui… Amazing players. Thiago, Kimpembe … That’s great. There is a really good connection between “Ney” and Kylian. It gives everyone a lot of pleasure and is a real strength for PSG. It’s great like that. ”
Juan Bernat : “Forfeit against Saint-Etienne? Yes, he hasn’t played today, so it’s not possible for him to play in the final unfortunately. We must continue the preparation phase with him, a controlled phase. We don’t take too many risks. I hope he can train with us tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or at the latest after the final, so that he can maybe play against Lyon. But Friday is too early for him. ”
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The keys to the take-back program : “It was not the same volume as usual after four weeks of vacation. There, we left four months without training! There have been several different phases to adapt. At first it was with groups of players. Lots of acceleration, typical football movements. After ten, and we decided to only do one session a day because we were afraid of doing too much. A preparation after four months without training, we’ve never done that…. The most important thing was to arrive uninjured, with fresh legs and head. After, the last phase, for two weeks, with everyone in training. We gave a lot of physical labor in the first two weeks. After that, it was completely on the pitch with the whole team and the friendly matches. We are very happy because I can feel that the players had a good attitude, a good mentality. The group benefits from working together, it’s really good. Friday is the time to show that we can win this first title, the third this season (after the Champions Trophy and the L1). “
Mitchell bakker : “In front of Layvin Kurzawa for a starting spot on Friday? He has the advantage of never having been injured. He did all the training. And so he has the advantage on the physical level. Layvin missed a few practices with a small back injury. Four, five days. And that’s a lot in a short preparation phase. But I’m glad Layvin played the last two games (Beveren and Celtic, editor’s note). That’s good because you need both if Juan is injured. I trust them. Now you have to decide who goes first. We will choose Thursday, after the last training. “
“Thiago Silva? It looks like he’s going to leave, but … “
Thiago silva : “A hope that remains? Now he’s our player, our captain, and we have to talk about all this after C1. Now you have to be focused … It looks like he’s going to go. In football, you never know (smile). “
PSG internship in Faro : “Why go to Portugal from August 8? For me, the Champions League is like a tournament, the Euro or the World Cup, with dry matches. After six weeks still in Paris, at Camp des Loges, we will leave after this friendly match on August 5 (against Sochaux, L2) for three days in Faro, to minimize the risk of coronavirus, to stay together, adapt to the atmosphere, enjoy the time together, eat together, enjoy, create an atmosphere to play this quarterfinals (against Atalanta, August 12 in Lisbon, editor’s note). It’s a bit of a distraction too after six and a half weeks and enjoy. “
Idrissa Gueye : “He is super important for us, he has a sporting character which helps us a lot. He is very strong in recovery, defensively, he can close spaces against the ball. He helps our team a lot defensively. We must always deserve to start. And it’s not decided today, we’ll decide on Friday. But I am very happy with him. He brings physical strength and that is very important. “
Propos gathered at a press conference