PSG coach, Mauricio Pochettino, attended the media on the eve of the match once morest Nantes corresponding to matchday 25 of Ligue 1. The Argentine coach assured that the victory once morest Real Madrid does not mean anything, for the moment, in addition to making a statement regarding the possible ownership of Neymar tomorrow or the missed penalty by Messi once morest Real Madrid.
The state of the team following beating Madrid and criticism of Messi: “I feel good, always focused on the next game, which is tomorrow and it’s important. Hoping that everything goes well and continue to grow as a team. I haven’t seen what happened with Messi and Agüero. I haven’t read, I don’t read, I don’t know what the differences are.”
The possibility of seeing Neymar as a starter and if Mbappé can play on the right: “Yes, he may have the chance to play tomorrow and start as a starter. He has trained well and has evolved well following the game once morest Real Madrid. After a long time here, we are a coaching staff with a lot of flexibility in attack, as you saw once morest Real Madrid, in the last 15-20 minutes, in which the ability to rotate movements in attack, we can use Mbappé both in the center and on the right. Any of the players adapts to these positions. Many times we give the freedom to exchange positions.
How to keep the team’s motivation intact like once morest Madrid: “I believe that competitions have to be analyzed in a different way. You, the fans, when the team is involved in certain competitions, there is always a small difference. We always maintain a professional level, players, coaches… professionalism. motivation is the same, to win. Each competition demands a different effort from you and that will never happen in the same way, to compete in the same way. That is evident in all the countries and in all the clubs. It is clear that we have a line of work and on that path we are going to move while being concentrated and, above all, being with the same attitude as always of going to win the games. Against Nantes, it will be a difficult game that will require a lot of effort and we are prepared for that”.
The aggressiveness difference in pressure: “Everything is a matter of development and working time. We have been talking for months and months regarding doing basic work, which may not be seen at the moment, but which later bears fruit. There has been a progression in the team of which we are happy and that we hope to keep it until the end of the season. That is the challenge”.
Neymar’s recovery process: “Ney is seen with a lot of energy, motivation, everything in this recovery process, following his injury in November, he has been aware of completing all the recovery processes with a lot of commitment to be able to arrive in the best way to help the team when his problem is solved. That process shows that he has a huge desire to help the team and hopefully those inconveniences that are already overcome, now at a football level, through the competition, he is recovering his best form”.
The alternations in the goal: “I think we’re making decisions in every game. The player who plays is number one and the other on the bench. Sometimes Navas is number one, other times it’s Donnarumma. I think we’ve almost reached March in good condition, in which the two goalkeepers have played almost the same. I think Navas has played three more than Donnarumma. In this case, having two TOP goalkeepers like we have, this management is the best. We will make the decision game following game, thinking regarding which one is the best goalkeeper for every occasion. We still haven’t made the decision for tomorrow, tomorrow we will make it and tell the team”.
If tomorrow he plans to play with the same eleven as once morest Nantes: “Not the same eleven because if you look at the medical report, Paredes is there. Apart from Lille and Real Madrid, we have played good games with a good balance in the season. But it is clear that the victory at Lille and once morest Madrid makes exposure and visibility of things have a greater impact”.
The impact of winning once morest Madrid: “Personally none. Personally nothing has changed for me. It hasn’t changed our plans. We isolate ourselves as always, trying to find the best atmosphere to work and develop our work. The group is very calm, the group knows what it wants and is be focused on tomorrow’s game”.
Messi’s penalty missed and the risk that it is affected: “Leo Messi is the best player in the world. A player like him, with his experience, and what he represents… He is football. If you want to explain to someone what football is, it is Leo Messi. In no way fail a penalty is going to affect his confidence, that’s impossible. And whoever thinks regarding it this way doesn’t understand this sport. I’m happy with his performance, he’s had a very good performance”.