Monaco (AFP)
"It's true that in Spain and France, we will look" towards Monaco: against Reims in the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France, Robert Moreno, the new coach of the Principality team, will plunge into the deep end .
Leading a team in the elite of a great championship, the Spaniard has always aspired to it, and it is done, since his appointment at the end of December.
And as he was, before that, selector of the big "Roja", even in a short-lived way, his beginnings will be scrutinized, analyzed, dissected. By his followers, like his detractors. On both sides of the Pyrenees. He knows it.
"It will be a special match", he admits before conceding: "All the matches will be important for my image (...). In France, in Spain, we will watch. But after what I have experienced for two months "It's still a football game. My family and I are in good health. I think I am privileged because I work with my passion. I will give my best. If I am good, very good. Otherwise, I will come home!" And it's done!"
- "No enemy" -
As for his detractors, starting with his ex-mentor, predecessor and successor at the head of the Spanish selection Luis Enrique? "I have no enemy, he says. To have enemies, you have to consider having them. In life, you have to forget the bad. Today, I only remember the good things of "Spain. Over time, everything is relative. I look to the future."
This future is Reims. Moreno knows this "team working together" and "where we see the work of David Guion" well. His players also know a lot. Before training on Friday, the day before the match, they had to do a very long video session in the press room of the Stade Louis-II.
"I want to introduce my game system, my automatisms, says Moreno. A team where all the players go together to attack and defend. But it's difficult to change everything in a week. Especially since I give a lot of information. "
For his first Monegasque match, the young Catalan coach does not intend to leave anything to chance. Like Leonardo Jardim, his predecessor, he will try to involve as many players as possible.
Relaunch the big name Cesc Fabregas? "I want to raise everyone," he replies. Continue to trust defenders Kamil Glik and Jemerson? "We have to improve the defense collectively. It is the responsibility of the whole team," he retorts. Change captain? "No, I respect this decision. If I have to change it will be next summer."
Between voluntarism and diplomacy, it involved 21 field players and 4 goalkeepers on the last training. Even Danijel Subasic and Ruben Aguilar, suspended for this match.
- "Similar to Guardiola and Vilanueva" -
"Under these conditions, all players start from scratch, explains the experienced Cesc Fabregas. So the intensity and the behavior of all are very good." "It was a good week," says Moreno. "I saw a good attitude. I'm very happy."
Fabregas provides more information. "I know his methodology, he specifies. The training and the video sessions are similar to those in Barcelona, with Guardiola and Tito Vilanova. It's good for me. But I have to work. "I wasn't guaranteed to play. It's honest. Now it's work, work, work! Physically above all! Because he would like us to run a lot."
Moreno, and his DNA from Barcelona, wants to "control the ball". "But it's not a matter of life and death," he says. "You have to know how to disrupt our opponents by our attacks to be able to recover the ball quickly and defend well as a block."
Because its first credo is to see the team better defend collectively. "Then through work, I want to see an identity revealed, the team progress. We will achieve our goals in this way."
The first of them is to eliminate Reims on Saturday, before attacking Paris SG twice on January 12 and 15 ...
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