Before the round of 16 match of the Champions League which pits PSG against Real Sociedad this Wednesday, the former coach of the Basque team answered questions from France Bleu Pays Basque.
France Bleu Basque Country: What remains of these two years (2011-2013) and your time at Real?
Philippe Montanier: It’s a whole package. The club of course. The team also because we had a good group with a lot of young people from the training center. It is also the performance to have with this club which was the 17th to 18th La Liga budget to qualify for the Champions League. We know that La Liga is tough, with the big clubs that exist in this championship. And then, I can’t forget the quality of life in San Sebastian, friends too. I go back at least once a year to see them again. I met some extremely friendly players there, very hardworking, very willing. These are just good memories.
You coached Antoine Griezmann at the start of his career, is this the player who left the biggest impression on you?
Throughout my career yes! Not only was he a talented player, but he was also a footballer with an excellent mentality. When you are a coach and you are dealing with very talented people, very perfectionist and with a great collective state of mind like Antoine, that inevitably leaves an impression on us.
Real Sociedad has since gone from strength to strength and today the Champions League just seems like a logical development for the club. Does this make you proud of the work accomplished?
Yes, plus for me, at the time, it was the discovery of La Liga. The club had just returned to the first division. It was difficult the first year because I changed a lot of things, both in terms of the system and the styles of play. I had promoted a lot of young players, like Antoine Griezmann or even Íñigo Martínez who is currently at Barça. We have built a young, talented team with a good mentality. We put the team on the right track. But credit also goes to the president, Jokin Aperribay. Since 2008, he has transmitted real DNA to the club and that explains his good current form.
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How can Real hamper PSG in this first leg confrontation?
PSG should therefore not take this match lightly, Real Sociedad’s high pressure could pose a problem for the Parisians. It is the team that recovers the ball the most, and the highest, in the Champions League. Paris was embarrassed against this kind of style of play, we saw it clearly in Newcastle (4-1 defeat in the group stage, Editor’s note). It’s clearly a weapon for Real, and it’s in its DNA.
What is your prediction for these eighths?
I’m a very bad prognosticator, but it’s going to be a very good time of football. A knockout match is anything but predictable. La Real is a club for which I have a lot of affection, but I remain French, and it is essential for French football at all costs that Paris performs well during this Champions League. So, I will be for Paris during one half and the other for Sociedad.
The entire interview with Philippe Montanier (17 minutes)
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Pre-match from 8:30 p.m. on France Bleu Pays Basque