Mauricio Pochettino: 'The players know what this match represents'
The Paris Saint-Germain coach spoke to the press on Saturday 6 February, on the eve of his sides trip to Marseille, for the 100th Classique in history, which will bring Matchday 24 of Ligue 1 to a close.
MARSEILLE
In matches like this, it's the football that is always the most important. The psychological side of things is an important element, we need to find the right balance between mindset and emotions. We need to be intelligent in our approach, of course. The players know what this match represents. It won't take much to motivate them, they know what we expect from them.
THE SQUAD
Neymar is unwell, and other players have had gastroenteritis too... We will see how things go between now and tomorrow, he wasn't able to train and we will see if he can feature in the matchday squad. Marquinhos and Verratti train with the squad, we will take a decision on their involvement tomorrow, I don't know yet who will start the match tomorrow. Navas is recovering well, but he will not be available for the match against Marseille.
THE RIVALRY
We just want to win the match. We are not thinking about what happened in the first match against them this season. We can't think about that, we don't want a complicated atmosphere on the pitch, there is a rivalry, but we need to make sure that we keep it on the pitch. We only want to work to win the match, because it's an important match for the players, the fans and everybody at the club. These matches are always special, we want to put in a great performance.
THE SHAPE OF THE SQUAD
It is difficult to evaluate where we are at. We need to do all that we can to ensure that we have a competitive starting 11 on the pitch for every game. We are working everyday so that the players take on our philosophy, but we also need to adapt every day to the various physical issues that crop up.