“What is your feeling when you find the pitch with your players?
It is true that on Thursday, we saw them very little, because they just carried out the test of the Covid-19, in Drive. We have no positive cases, which is excellent news. There were other medical tests on Friday, then we spoke to them on Saturday with the president (Bernard Serin), Philippe (Gaillot, the deputy director general) and the doctor (Patrice L’Huillier), who recalled the instructions to be observed. If a player has symptoms, they will of course be re-tested quickly. The (this Monday morning), I am very happy to find the grounds and the group, because what matters in a collective sport is precisely the life of the group, on a daily basis. Even if we kept a constant link during this particular period, it was very long.
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The preparation will take longer than usual, how will you manage it?
Even if we have kept the players under pressure with an individual program to follow for each, there will necessarily be a lot of progressiveness in the work. We will be very careful and insist even more on muscle prevention, especially after such a long period without playing.
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Especially since Kevin N’Doram (who was on loan from Monaco and signed up for four years) was seriously injured in the Achilles tendon before the recovery (he will be absent for six months) …
It was an unfortunate incident that was very detrimental to us because we fought hard to get it signed. It was a very important sign for the club. His injury is a big blow to him and the club. We must be even more aware that everything must be done to properly manage organizations.
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“We all know that he (Habib Diallo) has an exit certificate”
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Will this force you to recruit in the middle?
We think about everything, we will see what we can do, knowing that we have already made an effort for the transfer of Kévin N’Doram. We are banking on the continuity and stability of this group, which has progressed in matches and training over the last season (promoted from L 2, FC Metz finished 15th) and was already well reinforced in January by the arrivals of Dylan Bronn and Vincent Pajot. Even if there will necessarily be some movements.
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In particular with the scheduled departure of your star striker, Habib Diallo …
We all know that he has an exit certificate. If the club receives a satisfactory offer, it will leave and we will seek to strengthen itself in front, knowing that we have full confidence in Ibrahima Niane to occupy the position of center-forward. And we welcomed Lamine Gueye (ex-Generation Foot, who spent two seasons in Pau, National, while waiting for two other elements of the training center overseen by FC Metz in Senegal, including the attacking midfielder Matar Sarr) which has very interesting qualities.
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What do you expect from Kevin Lejeune, your new “team manager” and will you replace Jean-Marie De Zerbi (party assistant) in your staff?
A “team manager” is an element that we lacked. President Serin and Philippe Gaillot have wished him to come, and that is a very good thing. Kevin will facilitate our daily life, he will be a reliable referent. He just stopped his career (at AC Ajaccio) evolved here (2012-2017) and he will help us a lot. As for the possible replacement of Jean-Marie, for now we leave like that. There is no emergency. It is possible that it will evolve, we will see … “
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