You have been forced into solitary confinement as provided for in the health protocol after a positive Covid-19 test. How did you experience these moments and how are you?
” I’m great ! I didn’t have any symptoms, I just lost my taste and smell but everything came back. The hardest part is being deprived of your job. But I stayed with my family with my wife and my son. I took advantage of it. “
And following your teammates through a TV screen, isn’t that too frustrating?
“It was nice to see: when you see the determination of the guys on the pitch, it makes you want to come back and bring something to the group all the more. I enjoyed watching my friends play (opposite Nantes and Brest) although, of course, I really wanted to be with them. “
Sunday, FC Metz (6th) goes to the lawn of Saint-Étienne (16th) being undefeated in 2021 (3 wins, 3 draws). How do you approach this meeting?
“We all know it will be a very difficult game. Saint-Étienne remains a very good team with very good players even if it is currently less well. It’s up to us to do things well on the pitch while respecting our opponent. It will be necessary to start the match well, to put a lot of desire and determination to come back with the three points. You also have to remain lucid, keep your head on your shoulders: just because you’re on a good series doesn’t mean you have to get carried away. We must try to keep our momentum, of course, but by showing humility. “
“Everyone tries to push their limits”
The discourse of FC Metz has changed a bit, no? Is he more ambitious?
” It is true. For example, when we played Nice (1-1), we were all disgusted at the end of the match… Nobody said to himself that we had drawn against the Nice and that it was ultimately not so bad. It was not so long ago that we would certainly have made do with that point against such a team. But today, we want more! The group is growing and that’s good for the club. “
To come back to Saint-Étienne: you were trained there and you made your professional debut there in 2017. Do you still have contact with the Greens?
” Not a lot. I talk a little with a few people from the training center and, of course, with my little brother who plays with the reserve team (Abass Maïga, 20, is a striker). Unfortunately, he is currently injured. “
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Does playing against your old club change anything?
“The determination is the same as for any other game. But, it’s true that you still want to show a little more. This is the state of mind that I am. “
Speaking of state of mind, what does Frédéric Antonetti, your trainer, bring on a daily basis?
“Even if you win 10-0, for him the most important thing is the content. When there are good things in the content, it means that you can sign up for the long term. What matters most to him is therefore what we put into the matches, determination, desire … We try to fit into his project and for the moment, it is working rather well. “
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And this, despite a lot of problems of all kinds and many absences for many months …
“Everyone is invested so I am absolutely not surprised that it works anyway. Everyone tries to push their limits. Obviously, when guys get hurt, we are disgusted at the time. For them, for the team. But you have to quickly clear the void to be able to move forward. The team opposite is not going to feel sorry for your fate … We are therefore obliged to immediately find determination and desire. Each player who returns brings his stone to the building. “
“Matar, he’s a good guy! “
Pape Matar Sarr is one of those players who took their chance. How do you see your young teammate?
“The most important thing is the collective. And if the little one has found his place there, that’s a good thing. Because everyone, I repeat, must contribute to the building. I’m happy for him. He is a player of the future, he can become a great player even if he still has things to assimilate. But he’s respectful, he’s calm. It’s me who moves it in the locker room (to laugh). Matar, he’s a good guy! ”
For several meetings, FC Metz has been evolving with a defense of five. What does that change for the midfielder that you are?
“It’s a system we’ve adopted pretty well with three central defenders. Three more solid guys! In the middle, suddenly, we have a little more freedom, easier to project ourselves without being afraid because behind there is a security. But while thinking. So far, it’s going really well. “
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