Eliaquim Mangala is one of the 7 winter recruits of the ASSE. Returning to his signature with the Greens, he revealed behind the scenes of his arrival.
Eliaquim Mangala, “ASSE is really the place where I should be”
Native of Hauts-de-Seine and former French international (8 selections), Eliaquim Mangala never played in France. His signature, for six months at ASSE, is therefore his first experience in Ligue 1. Before making his big debut this Saturday against Montpellier HSC, the central defender gave the outlines of his arrival at AS Saint- Etienne, in an interview with The Team. He assures that the Loire club is not a default choice, but a well-considered choice.
“I had plans, I thought about it. But we have to remember that we are talking about ASSE, a very big challenge, a historic club in the French Championship. I’m very happy to be here,” he said. “I spoke with my family, my agent, and I told them that AS Saint-Étienne is really the place where I should be,” explained the 31-year-old player.
Passed in a pre-match press conference on Friday, Eliaquim Mangala should start against MHSC at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, on the occasion of his first match in the jersey of the Greens. And he promised in the sports daily to bring his experience to save the Stéphanois threatened with relegation to Ligue 2. “There is something to be done. There is a club that deserves better than that. We are going to do things well, ”he reassured. As a reminder, Sainté is 20th in Ligue 1 with 15 points in 22 matchdays.
The defender’s companion also reassures
The companion of the ASSE winter recruit also gave assurances of the determination of the former defender of FC Porto, Manchester City, FC Valencia or Everton, to bring his experience to the Greens. But also to relaunch with the Stéphanois, after six months without a club. “He has the spirit of a leader. We recruited him to come and help the team, of course, but the team will bring him back, “said Basma, to the same newspaper.