It was with a smile and after having warmly greeted all the people he met that Stéphane Roche got back on the bus to leave Drancy this Sunday afternoon. The PSG U19 coach was rather satisfied despite the draw (1-1) conceded a little earlier by his young troops at the opening of the championship. The technician took the opportunity to take stock of the recovery and his hopes to see other of his youngsters join the pro group during the season.
What feeling dominates after this first match?
STEPHANE ROCHE. I saw two great teams. The game was pretty exciting from start to finish. Each team had its highlights, but we took the lead after half-time. We conceded the goal at a difficult moment, just before half-time. Maybe we made a mistake on goal, but it was in the spirit of the game. It’s a good first game. We have a young team with 2003, 2004, 2005 and some 2002. It felt a bit. I am satisfied with the general behavior.
Did you also find that you are still fumbling around in the game?
Yes, but the conditions are not the same as our training conditions. We saw some beautiful sequences, there were some ideas. We conceded fewer chances than in our friendlies, but we also scored less.
Did the absence of the three “Lisbon” summoned to the Final 8 of the Champions League (Pembélé, Ruiz-Atil, Kalimuendo) weigh?
Yes because it is a plus. But it made sense that they weren’t with us today (Sunday). They have had a great, great story, and they need to regenerate before coming back and showing what they are capable of with the pros. The demands will go up a notch.
Doesn’t it risk being too hard for them to come down with the U19s?
It’s the career of a young footballer who wants that. If you don’t impose yourself on top right away, you have to play and take the opportunity to show yourself even more. It is the strength of a functioning academy to be able to take its players to the pros. It is also important for the identity of the club to trust its young people.
PSG is increasingly signing many professional contracts to its very young players. Is this a good sign?
Afterwards, we are also on an institutional logic of the contract. It is not the type of contract that matters most, but making your youngsters feel that there is a project for them at the club, which wants to bring them to the top level. Any professional club must be able to use a certain number of players from its academy.
Do you expect to see other of your players join the pro squad?
It is our daily motivation. It will be the fruit of a season. It is normal that some are a little more ready for that, like Kalimuendo or Pembélé who are of a certain age and have lived for two years of 19 years.
Is it finally the right year to win the Gambardella Cup?
Last year, we were very competitive to win it. We grew in power over the laps. If we could have continued the momentum of our match in Lyon (Editor’s note: 5-1 victory in the round of 16), we could have done something, if the competitions had not been stopped. In the state of mind, we were present. Afterwards, we’ll never know.
