Christopher Nkunku: 'A lot of joy'

Christopher, what sticks in your mind from the season just finished?
"A lot of happiness. The previous season, we had lost the title and so finished behind Monaco. This year, we got the title back and we won the two domestic cup competitions as well as the Trophée des Champions. They're four great trophies which add to the club's collection of silverware."

Tell us about your Coupe de France semi-final goal against Caen…
"The coach had asked me to warm up to go on in the second half. I came on in added time. I got the ball in midfield, Adrien [Rabiot] told me to go forward. I turned round, I went forward with the ball. I tried a one-two with Dani Alves, who sent the ball back into my path. I just had to place the ball then, which is what I did."

How did you feel after that goal?
"There was immense joy. And it was a double joy because I had scored and also ensured we would progress to the final. I turned round and saw the fans were happy with the goal. The end of the game was a bit complicated, and that goal was a relief, so there was a lot of happiness."

Thiago Motta retired at the end of the season. How important was he in your progress?
"He talked to me a lot, especially when I first came into the squad. He immediately put me at ease, told me that here the idea was to play simply, because when I arrived I did some superfluous moves and he told me it was pointless, that the ball had to move quickly, to play with one or two touches at the most. When I did something good, he told me, the same for something bad. He's an honest person. He was with me and I thank him for all he gave me during these three seasons."