Mauricio Pochettino: ‘We can’t wait to take on the challenges that await us’
On the eve of the game against Vannes in the Coupe de France round of 32, the Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke to the media.
the winter break
“It was important for the players and staff to have a break and stop thinking about football, to spend time with the family, it’s really important in these times. We’ve recharged our batteries and we can’t wait to take on the challenges that await us, in Ligue 1, in the Coupe de France and in the Champions League.”
Integrating the youngsters
“The idea is to create a balance between young and experienced players. The latter need to share their knowledge on and off the pitch. They need to help the young players, but they also need to show that they can play in the first team. We’re trying to integrate them as well as we can so that they can reach their potential.”
Ready for VANNES?
“We needed to take this time for us during this break, after a tough schedule and most importantly another hard year for everyone from a health perspective. The team will be competitive tomorrow, the absentees are not an excuse, we’ll be ready for this game. We’re not thinking about the other games yet, we’re focused on Vannes. We know that the players will have the right attitude on the pitch, no matter what the lineup is, because that’s what we want to be and show.”
The coupe de France
“I like the Coupe de France, it’s the oldest competition in France, we love this competition and playing against teams like Vannes. That’s real football, it’s a football that speaks to everyone and we can’t wait to be there.”
The RESTRICTIONS
“We’re trying to take all the measures we can to avoid problems, but we’ve been living with this virus for two years, we don’t know how the transmission happens, we need to make sure we’re as careful as we can be and take all the precautions necessary to carry on playing and protect everyone.”
Wishes for 2022
“I’d wish good health to everyone, to the whole Paris Saint-Germain family. We can also hope we win and lift trophies. We know that things change very quickly in football when you’re at Paris Saint-Germain, you need to win, you need results. But there are more important things than football, we know what we need to achieve but the most important thing is to enjoy life and be healthy.”