On the eve of Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday 3 November at 21:00 at the RB Arena, the Paris Saint-Germain coach answered questions from the media. Extracts.
confidence
“We have confidence in everybody. It’s our way of looking at things, every player is important throughout the season. We need them to feel important in order to give the best of themselves. We obviously look to the captain, the experienced players, but also to the less experienced players. The demands of a coach’s management of a squad are more accentuated than in the past.”
First encounter
“In every match there are complications. As a coach, we always look to improve the team. We are in the process of developing the team. There are several stages. We are in a particular stage that we are trying to develop. Some players are also settling in, and discovering new teammates. The match on Wednesday will be difficult, but we are happy with our first match against them and the result we picked up against a very physical side who complicated things for us.”
Three at the back
“These are formations that are just drawings at the start of the match. It’s not an animation. Our team comes out as a three, as a four, and moves in midfield… It also depends on the position of the players on the pitch and the way we keep the ball. We can play in various systems. As a fixed system, we can play with three centre backs. But we look for flexibility, not a fixed image. It requires comprehension. We hope that it will come quickly.”
ANGEL DI MARIA
“You are talking to me about a name that shines for itself, even in football. As I said, every player is important. Angel is a very important player. He has been at the club for years. In a team, balance is important in the different phases of the game. He brings his quality. We can always count on players like him. I repeat, teams need balance, the capacity of every player to commit in every phase of the game. The team remains the most important thing. If it works perfectly, the individuals will appear naturally. We want to continue to work on this balance.”