Monaco (AFP)
The victory at PSG (2-0) last weekend, revealed Monaco, which will try Sunday (1:00 p.m.) against Brest to continue a long series of unbeaten in Ligue 1, the result of a new policy.
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Rybolovlev undergoing rehabilitation
The scene did not go unnoticed on February 3: against Nice (2-1), Prince Albert spent part of the match in the box of Dmitri Rybolovlev, president of the club since 2011.
At the protocol and diplomatic level, everything makes sense in the Principality.
True, Rybolovlev was not in a princely lodge.
But by his public gesture, the prince has proven his willingness to renew relations, so far very weak, with the Russian billionaire.
In 2015, Rybolovlev caused a shock wave on the Rock because of his complaint against the Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier.
In November 2018, the investigation even resulted in him being indicted for "active bribery" and "influence peddling".
Since then, things have settled down.
Monaco and Switzerland, two countries where Rybolovlev had sued Bouvier, recently canceled the proceedings.
On the other hand, the Monegasque prosecution is continuing its investigations into his indictments.
Rybolovlev manhandled, rumors of the club's sale were circulating in recent years.
However, the Russian has always supported the ASM financially.
During the Covid pandemic and the TV rights crisis, he even reinvested.
Which gives it back credit.
In a recent interview with Monaco Hebdo, Prince Albert assured that "the sale of the club is not relevant".
"The main shareholder, Mr. Dmitri Rybolovlev, continues to provide constant financial support, he said. He has not renounced his obligations."
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Petrov-Mitchell as reorganizers
Oleg Petrov teaches him the world of professional football on a daily basis.
When he arrived in February 2019 as vice-president and general manager, Rybolovlev had given him the mission of rebalancing bloodless accounts, redefining a sports policy and, above all, regaining the Champions League.
His past as a relentless negotiator - especially in the diamond mining industry - his fluency in languages - Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, English and now French - and his capacity for analysis and decision-making have enabled him to straighten out a complicated situation.
After fumbling around, he listened to those who advised him to recruit a sports director.
With Paul Mitchell, he freed himself from a weight.
In English the full sporting powers (Academy, professionals and Cercle Bruges), in Petrov the overall management, the relationship with the authorities (he is elected to the board of the LFP), the final decisions.
Roles are defined.
And after firing Moreno after six months to replace him with Niko Kovac in mid-July, the last two mercatos have been well managed.
Even though 18 of them are only on loan, 46 players have left the club.
The atmosphere at La Turbie is less stifling.
Of the 38 professionals, 10 neo-pros are available to the reserve, 26 to the first team.
Only Samuel Grandsir and Youssef Aït-Bennasser, unwanted, train separately.
This revolution did not prevent the club from recruiting.
50 million euros have been invested in Diatta, Disasi, Volland and other Caio Henrique.
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Kovac as a free technician
Niko Kovac does not hesitate to say that if he chose Monaco in a week, it is because, in addition to an excellent three-year contract (and an optional year), he is free to apply his working methods and of his sporting choices.
He only met Rybolovlev once.
His interlocutors are Petrov and Mitchell.
Even though they didn't know each other, he and Mitchell worked within the Red Bull galaxy.
And their approach to performance is similar.
"From the first day, I saw that we would go in the same direction, explains the Croatian. I feel free to work as I want. My staff and I are happy here."
It remains to satisfy the presidential objective: to find the C1.
© 2021 AFP