Stefan Mitrovic is expected to reunite with his central defense partner Alexander Djiku on Friday against Marseille.

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PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP

  • Tested positive for covid-19 on October 28, RC Strasbourg coach Thierry Laurey has been at home in isolation.

  • He has already missed the match in Reims, last Sunday, and could miss the reception of Marseille, this Friday at Meinau.

  • In his absence, his assistant Jean-Marc Kuentz leads the team.

    But Thierry Laurey is not far ...

On the brand new training grounds next to the Meinau stadium, he is not there.

Thierry Laurey can not even take advantage of the new facilities of RC Strasbourg, those "which give speed to the game" according to the players.

Since being tested positive for covid-19 last Wednesday, the chief technician has been staying at home in isolation.

Until when ?

The answer should fall on Thursday.

"We have all just passed tests, Thierry too, I hope he can come back quickly, I hope so," Jean-Marc Kuentz explained on Wednesday.

Otherwise, it will still be him, the usual assistant, who will be on the sidelines, Friday night against Marseille for the 10th day of Ligue 1. As in Reims last Sunday (2-1 defeat).

For the former director of the club's training center, the role is new.

Whether in Racing alongside René Girard, Pierre Mankowski, Claude Leroy, Yvon Pouliquen and Yvan Hasek, then with Sabri Lamouchi and Julien Stéphan (in Rennes), he has always been in the shadows.

A desire.

Being n ° 1, “it's not something I aspire to”, he repeated at a press conference.

🎙️ Jean-Marc #Kuentz: "In Reims, there was a gap between what we produced in terms of intensity during the training week and our first period. We must be better in our ability to keep the ball and not suffer. "# RCSAOM pic.twitter.com/IpqnkIqCkV

- RC Strasbourg Alsace (@RCSA) November 4, 2020

Except that at the moment, he therefore has no choice.

The role could have gone to Fabien Lefèvre, also assistant, but the Héraultais was also affected by the virus.

What greatly upset the organization of the Alsatian team.

Who adapted, at best.

With Jean-Marc Kuentz who sees himself as the coach's “faithful messenger”.

“From the start, I have him on the phone at least three times a day.

Whether it is to prepare the sessions, the team, it is done in cooperation and in full transparency, ”he explains.

“There is no particular problem, apart from Thierry's physical presence.

I try to translate as best as possible what he wants to convey to the players.

"

"I have a lot of respect for everything Jean-Marc has done"

The latter do not seem to complain about it, like Stefan Mitrovic.

"It's going very well", assures the Strasbourg captain.

“Of course, we missed the coach in some aspects of the preparation for the matches, but frankly, I have a lot of respect for everything Jean-Marc did.

He was very honest with us, he told everyone the truth.

"

In Reims on Sunday, "the interim" had not hesitated to shake up the group, then led to the break (2-1).

It was defender Anthony Caci who confessed after the match: "He told us at half-time that he wanted a pack of wolves and he had lambs".

Was Jean-Marc Kuentz then transmitting a rant from Thierry Laurey?

Yes and no.

As for the pre-match chat, the deputy "exchanged" with his supervisor.

"But I said it with my own words and my personality", specifies the person concerned, of a more discreet and calm nature.

During the game, the same process was used, this time with the other assistant, Sébastien Roi, in charge of the switchboard.

Even for tactical replacements.

“Thierry gave us his feelings, we ours, and he decided on the changes… Which hasn't really changed from when he's with us.

"

The players may have felt it differently.

On the bench, the famous "body language" of their trainer was not the same.

In Reims, he only got up a few times.

Usually, the incumbent is more of the type to gesticulate and ... yell at his troops.

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