Paris (AFP)
The new coach of Paris SG Mauricio Pochettino underlined Tuesday, for his first speech in front of the journalists, "the enormous challenge" which awaits him in the capital, advocating a football of "movement" without wanting to reveal the precise contours of the style that he would like to develop.
Q: You are going to manage a team of stars at PSG.
How do you see this?
A: "(In French) I'm very happy to be here. (In Spanish) I understand very well what PSG represents, and the quality of the players who are here. We have worked with great footballers in the past. It's a huge challenge. I know the potential of this team, and the challenge that represents. "
Q: Will Marquinhos remain captain?
How do you plan to use him on the pitch, as a defender or a midfielder?
A: "Marquinhos is the captain of the team. There is no doubt that he will stay that way. On the question of his position, we will think about it. There are a lot of things that cannot be said nor explain. Over time, you will see the decisions that we will make. "
Q: Can we expect to see you print your style from the next matches in the Parisian game?
A: "We are going to play 12 matches in the next 50 days or so. We will all try to help the players in this busy period. I am very happy with all the medical aspect, the structure of the club that has come down. open to integrate. We will work with the feeling of having a group of enormous talent, and knowing that PSG demand your best face in every game. "
Q: How do you plan to use Neymar?
A: "Over time, when he has started training with the group (he is in the recovery phase, editor's note), we will find the position where he will express himself best. I don't like to talk about systems. prefers to talk about animation, organization, with and without the ball. We are going to propose things, and we will also listen to the players to find a system where, not just Neymar, everyone will be integrated in the best possible way. we have a group of players who can all express leadership characteristics. The more leaders we have on the pitch, in the locker room, in the club structures, the better we will function. We have no doubts that we have, as a club, a force, an enormous energy, to fight for our goals. "
Q: What was your first impression of the band?
And concerning Kylian Mbappé, what role for him?
A: "PSG have an amazing squad. It's not new to us or to you. We strongly believe that players can achieve great things. That's our challenge. For Kylian, great players like him can. playing in different places on the pitch. The most important is how he feels, and how he can take advantage of his qualities. As with Neymar, we will try to find the best position for him, so that it is decisive. (...) Football is an open and dynamic system. Every time you stop the game, the positions can move, alternate. Football is dynamic, it is movement. "
Q: How do you see the Champions League, and the upcoming round of 16 against FC Barcelona (February 16-March 10)?
A: "For PSG, and for all clubs, the Champions League is the most important competition, it's an important challenge. It looks far away, but it's next month. more important for us today is to build, to get to know each other, to adapt. We want to achieve our best form against Barcelona, with the objective of winning and going far. confident. It will be difficult but we have an incredible squad. "
Q: Your predecessor Thomas Tuchel deplored the many injuries to players.
Do you want to change things in the athletic preparation of the players, their medical monitoring, to avoid these absences?
A: "We have great respect for the existing structure of the club. We have to create a common philosophy in which we can find the best strategy to help the players and anticipate those situations which are not beneficial to anyone."
Interview at a press conference
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