comment AS Monaco raised its head
In the trough of the wave a few weeks ago, AS Monaco regained their colors thanks to the work of their coach who was able to restore confidence in his group and create a good team cohesion.
Who would have thought the day after the elimination of AS Monaco in the round of 16 of the Europa League against Braga on March 17, that the club of the principality would worry about OGC Nice in its race for the Europa? Probably not Dmitri Rybolovlev, the Monegasque president. Disappointed with the results of his team, the Russian had the idea of doing a “big cleaning” and separating from Oleg Petrov, Paul Mitchell and Philippe Clément.
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However, since this exit from the road against the Portuguese club, AS Monaco are doing much better and have entered into a positive dynamic on and off the pitch. The incipit of this new chapter of the ASM season begins with a 3-0 victory against a brain-dead Paris Saint-Germain after their elimination against Real Madrid, which offers Philippe Clément and his staff a breath of fresh air. “I am very happy with the collective reaction. The players showed a lot of positive aggression and the will to play really high, with a lot of faith, and balls… It’s my birthday in two days, I thank the players for this gift.says the Belgian.
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After an international truce which allowed Aurélien Tchouameni to score his first goal in blue, AS Monaco attacked the final sprint with a trip to Metz and the reception of Troyes, two candidates for relegation. On these two meetings, Ben Yedder and his teammates won (2-1) which allowed the group to regain self-confidence, for his part Dmitri Rybolovlev put away his vacuum cleaner. “The sports director, the vice-president and myself spoke with the president Rybolovlev. I spoke more than four hours with him. He said that we have his full support in the current project. New, he was less present. He wants to be more involved again. We talked about the current players, the profiles we need for next season.“Tells Clement to AFP.
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Paintball and BBQ
Last week, a bigger fish fell into the nets of ASM, Stade Rennais. A strong contender for the podium, the Bretons lost 2-3 at Roazhon Park despite Flavien Tait’s opener. “Circumstances were not with us. But the most important thing is that everyone kept working and confidence grew from match to match. The players are not yet at 100%, we still have to improve. The team has not yet reached its limits. explained Clément in the post-match conference. The defeat against Strasbourg and elimination from the Europa League forced the former Brugge coach to raise his voice over his players, especially those who saw in his management (deemed more tender than that of Kovac) an opportunity to relax. .
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The other aspect where ASM has deteriorated greatly is in team cohesion and on this subject, all the credit goes to the coach. At the beginning of April, Clément organized an activity that he had already set up when he was in Bruges: a paintball afternoon. “30 years ago, we went to drink beers. The next day, you had no more legs in training, but (had) created a collective unity. You have to force the new generation to create this essential spirit in football. Reacting quickly to catch a partner’s mistake, rather than pointing it out, is a collective strength“Explains the former Belgian international (38 caps). Once the activity was over, the players and employees of the club all gathered around a large barbecue which was a lot more for the players, in particular Kevin Volland. “It was really good to be together, to be able to talk with teammates and friends, those with whom we are less used to talking, the staff but also all the people who worked for us, to discuss not football but also privacy.recognizes the striker with seven league goals. “It’s the first time we’ve done this sort of thing. I think it worked because we won the following games“.
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Facing Nice, this cohesion will have to be there once again. In difficulty for several matches, Christophe Galtier’s men timidly revived last week against Lorient (2-1 victory). Now neither of the two teams can afford to lose points in the race for Europe even if unlike ASM, the eaglets can still count on a victory in the Coupe de France to ensure participation in a European competition. next season.