Two weeks before the resumption of the Ligue 2 championship, Paris FC continues to refine its automatisms. This Saturday, at 6 p.m., he played his sixth pre-season test against Troyes in his training center in Orly (Val-de-Marne). For now, all lights are green as confirmed by coach René Girard.
Your team remains on four wins in five friendlies. Is she building up her confidence before the start of Ligue 2?
RENE GIRARD. The main thing is to work physically, to accumulate playing time so that everyone arrives at their level on D-Day. The results are not taken into account in the sense that there is no question of winning at all costs. But if the result is associated with the way as it was the case against Lens (1-2, Wednesday), it proves that the boys are working well, that they give the maximum, that the staff is listening. It’s positive, it’s always fun, we don’t need to take small cashews to have a smile … It also gives a bit of an idea of the value of the group, especially since we are rubbed against good teams (Caen, Le Mans, Red Star …)
Are Paris FC sufficiently armed to play the rise in Ligue 1?
This is not what is stated at the start, and I know football too well not to go in this direction. We have a nice team, which holds up, but a lot of competitors will come up against us. There are Amiens, Le Havre, Clermont, Nancy, Troyes… Some are superior to us. The truth is on the ground and if we do our best, we will certainly have things to do. We must not get carried away, go too fast: believe that we are world champions after having won two matches. And conversely, to think that you no longer look like anything by losing one. But if there is something to be done, count on us.
Lamine Diaby-Fadiga scored three goals in preparation. Is it asserting itself as a key element for the coming season?
Lamine has talent, he needs to show more consistency in his performances, we discussed that. He starts the season by being efficient which is not given to everyone. He’s a boy with a very interesting left paw, he’s an opportunist too. He must continue to work. If it is part of the revelations, so much the better. But it is not a player who makes a team.
“We were not infected by the virus but no one is immune … It’s still worrying”
Are you still waiting for reinforcements?
Recruitment is almost complete. The club has made a lot of effort. We will see at the end of the friendly matches if we take an additional player in the defensive field, but that is not certain.
The Covid-19 has not affected your group to date?
I touch wood, we were not infected by the virus but we realize that no one is immune. Look at the people of Strasbourg, they have nine positive cases, it’s still worrying. We remain very vigilant in respecting health measures. Since the resumption, we have passed five tests that require a large financial investment, and I can tell you that that too is a big problem. Now, it shouldn’t turn into a psychosis either.
Do you fear for the resumption of the championship, the announcement of a postponement?
We don’t know but I hope with all my heart that it doesn’t happen. Even if I fear that we are facing a resurgence of the epidemic and that we will still be forced to stop everything. In any case, we inevitably ask questions.
A word on the PSG which will participate in the Final 8 of the Champions League. Do you think he can win it?
He has been hoping for a long time to reach a milestone and see it through. It is even an expectation of all our football, it would be something wonderful if it succeeded. But it’s not easy, there are big clubs across the street. I also find PSG less domineering but maybe that’s how it will go. He used to take the ball at the start and give it back to you at the end. The team was hurting their opponent very much. The lack of competition should not be detrimental to PSG this year either.
