Christophe Galtier: 'We're ready'

Coach, how are you feeling as the season resumes?

"Very good! Because obviously, this break allowed us to recover, to refresh our minds, but also to remain very focused, because we followed this magnificent World Cup. It was a great success, I had the privilege to spend a few days in Doha and to see a lot of matches and I saw that it was a well organised World Cup which was of a high level with many surprises. So it was both a period where I recuperated and enjoyed my loved ones, but also where I was able to see some very high level matches and follow our many internationals who were involved in this World Cup."

This break was also an opportunity to make a first assessment of the current season. What is the situation?

"We looked back on the first months obviously, with the use of the squad, with the changes in organisation, the changes in leadership, always trying to improve. We can't achieve perfection, but we wanted to look ahead to what was going to happen in the second half of the season. This assessment was made with a lot of humility. We had a very good first half, especially in the league, we had a good run. We improved game after game, the team scored a lot of goals, but we have to correct some small mistakes. On the whole, I'm satisfied with the team's development, the evolution of the squad and our game. Then there was the Champions League, where the whole group stage was played in a short time. This competition was not a novelty for me, but the exposure here in Paris is quite different. We are undefeated, we played some interesting matches, we improved... The two matches against Benfica were for me a trigger for the fact that I could switch to another organisation, another style of play, and not remain stuck on what we had been doing since the beginning of the season. But overall, in terms of play, goals and points, it's been a good first half of the season."

could we say that a new season is starting? 

"We worked a lot during the 20-day break. It is new for everyone, even if I think we were one of the most represented clubs at the World Cup. This second part will resume very quickly with two very important matches on 28 December against Strasbourg and then the 1st January against Lens. We are now going to get into the preparation of the matches. We have done a lot of physical preparation, but still with our approach on the ball, a lot of technical work too. It's a first for us coaches to have a six-week break, with players who have been very busy during an international competition. But we have pushed our thinking to the limit to allow the players to be in top form as soon as they return."

there were two friendlies during the time off,and everything went well...

"Against Paris FC, we played two 30-minute halves to get back into the rhythm. And against QRM, we played a full match to increase the workload with a view to the restart. The matches were very intense, with the aim of finding our bearings and connections, and also to see the young players at work. They were good in these two matches, and that's a good omen, because we'll need to have a lot of players available for the second half of the season. And what I saw reassures me a lot. But I know that my players will quickly find the right sensations, and physically, we are ready."

what should we expect from the team for the second half of the season?

"I'm always looking for ways to improve and find other organisations that can both surprise opponents and also help us to get better in certain games. You always have to look for ways to improve, but there won't be any big upsets because we've been performing well in the first few months."

what should we hope for from the rest of the season? 

"I have only one goal, which is to be happy. I have been happy for six months in Paris. I love this group, I love the players and I hope that I will live the second part of the season as I lived the first, with a lot of desire, with a lot of determination, with a lot of motivation, but also with a lot of enjoyment."