Are you still amazed by Kylian Mbappé (after the success against Strasbourg thanks to a penalty obtained and transformed by the native of Bondy)?
It is a continuation of what he did in the World Cup. He had very few rest days, but the fact of having been at the end of the competition, even if there was sadness, allowed him to stay on the pace. Since his return, he was keen to play these two matches (against Strasbourg, then at Lens, Sunday), especially to win them. He was a trigger, through his selflessness and his determination. He dragged the whole team into it and we were able to win in the end. There were penalties in almost every L1 game today, so I knew we would get one. It was better for us that he fell at that time and Kylian did not tremble.
How do you judge the performances of Marquinhos and Neymar, also back from the World Cup?
Unlike Hakimi and Kylian, who went to the end with pace, I suspected that it was going to be more difficult for those who had had ten to twelve days of recovery, and only four sessions to prepare for the match, like Marqui and Ney. But Marquinhos immediately found the right tempo. He was decisive and showed a certain state of mind, with a real desire not to suffer. A bit like Neymar, who alternated the high game and a low game. He messed up a lot. I can understand that there is anger and frustration on his part. Because I can understand the yellow card for the simulation. But the first one he took is very severe, compared to the number of faults he suffered before, not small…
Marco Verratti has extended until 2026. What do you think?
This is very good news for the club, we will call him Marc! It’s a strong sign from him and from the club to keep the senior players. He is the best in his position in the world, in a very particular, atypical register. We often have players with stature in that position, like Thiago Motta, bring him something else and he is exceptional.
You established the young central defender El-Chadaille Bitshsiabu (17) on the left. Why ?
Juan Bernat had a little muscle discomfort and was unavailable. We had worked so that “Chad” could participate on the left side. We realized that he was not comfortable offensively, so we had to change our organization a bit to get the ball out. But he was very good defensively, and given the context, it is therefore a very successful first for him.