The match against Lille, his life in Wolfsburg ... Joshua Guilavogui confides in Europe 1

Colin Abgrall 6:58 p.m., December 08, 2021

INTERVIEW

Former Ligue 1 resident, especially on the side of AS Saint-Etienne, Josuha Guilavogui has been playing in Germany, near Wolfsburg, for almost eight years.

Before the Champions League match Wednesday night against Lille, which he describes as a "final", the defensive midfielder trained in Saint-Etienne and former French international, confides in the form of his team and that of his opponent, on his life in Germany, and pass a little word to the team of its beginnings which is having a complicated time in Ligue 1.

>> The Wolfsburg-Lille match can be followed live and in full on Wednesday evening on Europe 1 from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

What state of mind is the Wolfsburg team in before this meeting?

We are not at the best. We had a very bad result against Mainz and we conceded two goals after four minutes of play. Of course, to build up confidence, it would have been better to win or to have a positive result. But we will give everything because it is a final for us. It's "all or nothing" ("all or nothing", note). We will have to take absolutely the three points. We are at home and we have to win.

I'm one of those people who thinks it's easier to win when you play at home.

There is no travel fatigue, and there are our supporters.

It's always better when you have to achieve a feat.

Now Lille are a team that has regained confidence, with a strong defensive base and players who can make the difference.

It will be difficult for us because they only need one point to qualify.

But I also know that playing with the intention of taking only one point can be very dangerous.

You have been in Germany and in Wolfsburg since 2014. What makes us feel so good there, maybe better than Saint-Etienne or Atlético de Madrid (two of its former clubs , editor's note)? 

Already, I would like to say hello to my friends from Saint-Etienne. They are having a difficult time (Claude Puel has just been sacked and ASSE is last in Ligue 1, editor's note). I have also experienced times like this. We must all stay together and we must hang on, show solidarity. The season is still long, there are six months left to obtain the maintenance that will do good, and then we will have to ask the right questions to no longer play with fear in the stomach.

Coming back to the question, Wolfsburg is a city that I love.

My son was born there.

The values ​​here remind me of those of Saint-Etienne.

People value hard work and a family business just as Volkswagen can.

It is this atmosphere, this environment that made me stay so many years in the Bundesliga.

There is a large French community and I was one of the first to be part of it.

We are very happy here.

When we meet in matches, we enjoy discussing, even if it remains a lot at the club level.

Here, there is Maxence Lacroix, Jérôme Roussillon but also a lot of French speakers with the Swiss and the Belgians.

We have our small community.

Getting back to the Champions League, do you think Bayern Munich are the big favorites? 

Yes.

Why ?

Because the great quality that they have is that when you have to do a great performance, they are going to do it.

This year against Borussia Dortmund for example, there is a point between them so whoever wins takes the lead in the championship.

We, we hope that Dortmund wins to be able to install this competition a little, and they (the Bavarians) still have a very great game by winning 3-2, in Dortmund (on December 4), in a complicated stadium.

They are used to winning these big matches.

But I also see teams like Real Madrid with a Karim Benzema who is on another planet, then Manchester City and Liverpool.