Newsletter

Steve Mandanda’s secrets about his competition with Pau Lopez

While the 2020-2021 season was not yet over, Olympique de Marseille quickly announced the color. With the departure of Yohann Pelé (free) at the end of June, the Marseille club would recruit a goalkeeper to compete with Steve Mandanda. But not a number 2, rather a number 1 bis. Since then, the Olympians have found their happiness with the loan with option to buy Pau Lopez from AS Roma. For the moment, the Spanish goalkeeper is still injured in the shoulder but the competition will quickly settle down as the 2021/22 exercise begins Sunday evening against Montpellier HSC for OM (8:45 p.m., 1st day of Ligue 1) .

What follows after this advertisement

On several occasions, Steve Mandanda had displayed his serenity when discussing the subject. But since the announcement of the recruitment of Pau Lopez, the Marseille captain had not yet reacted, until today. “The competition, to speak of Pau who has just arrived, it’s normal. (…) I had a discussion with Pablo (Longoria, the president) last season I knew someone had to come. I’m 36, I’m not going to stay indefinitely, the goalkeeper position is not mine and at some point I will have to leave. But I’m still here! I will play as many matches as the coach will have me play and try to take as much pleasure as possible to finish as well as possible ”, let go of the 36-year-old porter at Provence.

“It’s good for everyone that there is something new”

Arrived for the first time at OM in 2007, and after 593 appearances in all competitions in the Olympian jersey, Steve Mandanda therefore intends to keep his position of number 1 and continue meetings in 2021/2022. All the while knowing that time flies: “This is a normal development. At a certain age, at a certain level, it takes change. I saw it very well, because I had spoken about it beforehand with Pablo. What is happening does not surprise me. It’s good for everyone that there is something new … “ A new face, a new competitor. All this therefore does not worry the French international (34 selections).

The former porter of Crystal Palace, who judges the arrival of Pau Lopez as “A good thing for the group”, approaches the new season with confidence. And if he plays less, that won’t change anything. “Me, I have no problem, I believe that it is a logical continuation and I want to take a maximum of pleasure, that I play 10 or 30 matches”, followed the number 30 of the Olympique de Marseille in his interview with the local daily. Sunday evening on the lawn of the Mosson, Steve Mandanda will start. But as soon as Pau Lopez returns to collective training, the competition is likely to be tough. But healthy.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending