This Tuesday (9 p.m.), PSG will try to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League at the Parc des Princes where it receives the Turks from Basaksehir. This Monday, the Parisian coach, Thomas Tuchel, was on a press videoconference.
What speech will you give to your workforce to avoid any slackening?
THOMAS TUCHEL. The players know very well that we did a hard job after a difficult situation to get into a good situation like today. I am confident that everyone has understood this. We are not going to change our speech now. It’s a 3 rd final in a row and we will prepare the team to win it as we won the match against Leipzig and then in Manchester.
Against Istanbul, do you need to put Abdou Diallo back on the left side?
Yes and no, I’m not going to say it now. We have two specialists in this position, Mitchel Bakker and Layvin Kurzawa. They are more comfortable in this position. We chose Abdou for the defensive challenge. It was necessary to defend four against the three forwards from Manchester, for direct duels. This time it’s a home game. We have to think about Abdou’s playing time. He played a lot in Manchester and Montpellier with intensity. We will decide this Tuesday morning.
Is the first place a priority objective for the rest of the competition?
The first objective is to win. We don’t think of anything else. I want us to show the same respect to the game. We will give ourselves 100%. We play to win, for us, to show that we are the best team. Finishing first is an opportunity to play the first leg away. But a round of 16 is another close game, whether you are first or second. We must first give everything and use our quality and our seriousness, our concentration against the champion of Turkey. In the Champions League, there are no easy matches.
Are you surprised by Rafinha’s volume of play?
As Mainz coach, I watched a Barcelona B match where he and his brother Thiago Alcantara played. He had been exceptional. Since then, I have followed his path. I’ve always been a fan of him. He always played by giving everything. He can play in any team. I’m not surprised and told him. He was just crippled by the injuries. He’s everything I expect from a Barcelona player. He is humble, he always has a smile, he always thinks of the team, It is the very high level. He must stay in good health. He gives a lot of volume to our game. Everyone wants to have a player like that on their team. It is a pleasure to train him.
Who makes up the council of elders now?
It’s this season with Presnel Kimpembe and Keylor Navas. There is always Marco Verratti, Kylian Mbappé and Marquinhos. I’m talking about more or less important things. We are in a permanent exchange.
