Finally victorious this season, against Clermont (3-2), Saint-Etienne offered a little air just before the international break. Penultimate in the standings, the Saint-Etienne club must quickly confirm, from Sunday in Troyes (3 p.m.), to relaunch in the race to maintain.
His trainer Claude Puel remains confident in him, as he explained in a long interview to The team. “The goal is to finish in the top ten,” he still aspires. But how to fix it with a group which still has everything to prove and teams around you which make mercatos blows of tens of millions of euros? “
The 60-year-old technician recognizes that he certainly faces the biggest challenge of his career. “I have never had to face such a complex situation. Lille and Nice had not been impacted by major investments and long contracts to be honored. The challenge is more difficult in Saint-Étienne because we are not starting from a blank page. When you present a new project, with training, everyone finds it great. But once you run into difficulties, everyone forgets the context. I am brought back, and I accept it, on my condition as a trainer. I am no longer a general manager, with a vision and a course to take, ”admits Puel.
The other emergency is the winter transfer window which could allow the Greens to expand their workforce, especially as the African Cup of Nations (from January 9 to February 6) should start the ranks a little more. Claude Puel remains pragmatic and instead imagines loans. “We want to try to recruit and we need it. But given our envelope, we will rely on loans. I hope we will find two, three rare birds that will give the team confidence to move forward. “
Regarding the soap opera of the sale of the club, the Stéphanois coach wants to remain focused on the athlete. “I discussed it with the players and the staff. Our role is to try as much as possible to disconnect this soap opera from our daily life, he affirms to the sports daily. People, more or less serious, want to be talked about. We can look at that with a bit of derision, except that we are in a company that attracts a lot of supporters. And this soap opera can tend to destabilize many. We cannot therefore say that it has no impact. But since no one knows when the sale will take place, we can’t wait for it to happen. It wouldn’t be serious. We must remain confronted with reality. We are in the fight and we have to win it. That’s all that interests me ”.
As for his future, his contract ending on June 30, he “does not ask himself the question. A lot of players have extended because they trust me. But I refrain from any projection on my future because my daily life is tomorrow. If we succeed in our endeavor, so much the better for the club and the one behind it. “
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