Monaco (AFP)
"He has progressed and next year, with Europe, he will show more": Monegasque coach Niko Kovac appreciates the development of his defender Axel Disasi, recruited last summer in Reims, where he returns on Sunday (5:05 p.m. ) in the ASM jersey, with the aim of remaining on the podium.
At 23, Axel Disasi confirms in the elite.
After a successful season in Reims where he helped the Champagne club to find Europe, he did the same this season in Monaco, where he is engaged until 2025.
In a very competitive internal context, he established himself as the base man in Niko Kovac's system, which made him the tenth most used Monegasque in L1 (1,923 minutes in 26 matches, including 23 starts).
Disasi has played more than the Chilean international Guillermo Maripan or the world champion Djibril Sidibé.
The charisma and aura of this 1.90-meter-tall Ile-de-France who discovered professionalism at 18 at Paris FC in L2, before being spotted by Reims, allowed him to quickly become essential in the Monegasque locker room.
-Vice-captain-
"I'm happy with what he's doing, appreciates Kovac. He had done a very good job in Reims. He has made further progress here, where he has the status of vice-captain. He has shown his qualities. And the year next, with Europe, he will show more. He will be able to get closer to selection A. "
Because the former coach of Bayern Munich predicts a future in blue.
However, it is more his teammate Benoît Badiashile, central defender like him but younger (20 years) and international Hope title, that the National Technical Directorate of football is currently following with great interest.
If Badiashile, who has already received offers from Manchester United or Bayer Leverkusen, has long been scheduled for an international career, Disasi, recruited in Reims for 15 million euros (including 2 bonus), is gradually giving himself the means to achieve this.
Moreover, in recent days, it is he who started in place of Badiashile.
"We have three central defenders of very high level, explains Kovac. Currently, only two play since + Djibo + (Sidibé) is very good. Axel has just started twice consecutively (Angers and Lyon, editor's note), while + Badia + was on the bench. We spin. "
But the defeat against Lyon (3-2) last Sunday broke an impressive series (7 wins, a draw and a defeat in L1, with only one goal conceded).
She may relegate Disasi to the bench in Reims.
Because "competition is increasing", warns Kovac for weeks.
And the Croatian favors the form of the moment.
Especially at high performance level.
- "Grand match" in Paris-
It wouldn't be the first time Disasi has been sidelined from the starting XI.
Its trainer recognizes a sinusoidal evolution, with "a small decrease, some gaps in the middle of the season".
Author of a "great match", according to Kovac, during the victory in Paris (2-0, February 21) where he had "muzzled Mbappé, by combining with Diop and Aguilar", already scorer three times in L1, Disasi is also sometimes passed through.
As against Lens (0-3, December 16) or Strasbourg (3-2, September 27).
Each time, this fast and powerful player has assumed his natural qualities and let his teammates finish shorthanded.
But since the start of 2021, he, like his teammates, has become less prone to errors.
He adopted Kovac's motto: "Use a lot of defensive intensity to get the ball high".
In Reims, against whom Disasi scored on Matchday 1 (2-2, 23 August), Monaco will once again put these principles into action to win and stay on the podium.
© 2021 AFP