“I retain the fighting spirit of the group”: AS Monaco president Dmitry Rybolovlev reacts to ASM’s 3rd place in L1
This last draw, conceded after stoppage time against the Sang et Or, prevented ASM from retaining its second place, synonymous with a direct ticket to the group stage of the next Champions League.
In August, the princely club will therefore have to play a third preliminary round then a play-off to invite themselves to the most prestigious of European competitions.
Present in the Pas-de-Calais for the last outing of his team, the oligarch spoke in the locker room on Saturday evening, just after the disillusionment came to fall on his troops.
Disappointed, because he dreamed of a direct qualification for the C1, the Russian wants to be positive despite everything, this Sunday, in a press release published on the club’s website.
“The cruel scenario of this final meeting should not make us forget the last episodes of this battle that we fought in Ligue 1, he says. At the end of this season, which has been through ups and downs (dismissal of Niko Kovac and arrival of Philippe Clément in January, nine points behind the podium in March, editor’s note), I want to retain the fighting spirit of the staff and the players.”
Annoyed for many months, which would have pushed him to want to change everything again in March according to L’Equipe
today he salutes the rebound of his club, undefeated in the last ten days of Ligue 1 (nine wins in a row then a draw).
“In the difficulty, the group has never given up, even achieving a remarkable series of victories, and is rewarded for its efforts by hanging on the podium – the seventh time since the promotion of AS Monaco to Ligue 1 nine years ago. years. Our young team has competed in several competitions this season: national and European. I hope that it will draw on this experience to gain in maturity and regularity. It is with the desire to continue to grow and progress, building on what has been put in place, that we will prepare for next season. Finally, I would like to ask our supporters who have been there throughout the season, as always, at home and away, to support the team, and I’ll give them an appointment next season. Daghe Munegu!”
* The daily announced that the Russian wanted to separate from his coach (Philippe Clément), his sports director (Paul Mitchell) and his vice-president (Oleg Petrov). The club denied it.