Edouard Kempf: 'A good first match back'

On Friday evening, Paris Saint-Germain Handball returned to the court for their Coupe de France round of 16 tie. After their victory over Ajaccio (25-39), Jesus Gonzalez, Edouard Kempf and Gauthier Ivah gave us their thoughts on the match.

Jesus Gonzalez (Paris Saint-Germain Handball assistant coach):
"We won this game in the first half, when we were good in attack and defence. When you're leading by five or ten goals, it's hard to keep your concentration. Everyone got some game time, which is very important for us. We're always afraid of getting injured, but today we had all our players available, including the youth academy lads."

Édouard Kempf (Paris Saint-Germain Handball right-winger):
"The important thing was to get off to a good start after a long break. We're starting with a month of February that entails a lot of travel, so it was important to get off to a good start. The opposing team played very well and it did us good. It allowed us to put in a good performance, even if we conceded a few too many goals. It was not bad for a first match back. It's important for everyone to be able to play in games like that. Especially for the youngsters!"

Gauthier Ivah (Paris Saint-Germain Handball 'keeper):
"Ajaccio defended very well. They showed real heart at home, just as they do in the National 1, where they're top of their group. Our opponents gave it all they had and, as we always look to respect our opponents, so did we - even though we did slack off a bit towards the end of the match. Personally, I felt very good. I wanted to keep working and improve my weaknesses, as I do every game."

(Credits: J. Azouze/PSG)