Press conference by Christophe Galtier before PSG-Monaco: “We are trying to have the best possible squad to go as far as possible in all competitions”
The coach of Paris Saint-Germain, Christophe Galtier, went to a press conference today as part of the reception of Monaco, this Sunday, on behalf of the fourth day of Ligue 1. The opportunity for the technician to go around the news of the champion club of France.
Question: How do you view the Champions League group stage draw?
Christophe Galtier : “ First of all, we have two former C1 winners even though it’s been a few years for both Benfica and Juventus. Benfica remains a good memory for PSG because the Final 8 took place there. Juventus remain a recent finalist, in 2017, against Real Madrid. So what two monuments of football, in stadiums with very big atmospheres just like for Maccabi Haifa. I heard about this bad memory but I don’t remember it. It’s a pretty interesting draw.”
Question: What match do you expect against Monaco?
Christophe Galtier : “ It will be a real tough match, Monaco are a good Ligue 1 team and I think they are among those competitors to seek both the title and the places in the Champions League. They certainly lost last week but against a good team from Lens. The last memory I have is the last Monaco-PSG which was sold by a heavy defeat of Paris Saint-Germain. Of course, we already talked about it a bit between us. We must not trust both the performance we were able to achieve in Lille and the poor performance of Monaco. Each match has its truth and you have to expect a very high level match with very playful teams.”
Question: The calendar will be loaded with a match every three days and the World Cup on the horizon. How does this change your habits?
Christophe Galtier : » The schedule will be loaded, it’s seven matches in 21 days so one match every three days. We will have to be competitive in this series, pay attention to the organizations, to be a lot in exchange with the players and with the technical and medical staff. It is now that the workforce must bring all its value to the sequence of matches. I repeat, these are beautiful posters, both in the league and in the Champions League.”
Question: What do you think of this Juventus team that you are going to play in the Champions League? You will surely find Di Maria and Paredes… I take this opportunity to ask you a question about the transfer window with players like Navas who are close to starting… What about Skriniar?
Christophe Galtier : “ You didn’t make the trip for nothing! Regarding the draw, Juventus is a very big club, former winner of the Champion’s League. We are going to play a club that is used to competition in a stadium where there is a very big atmosphere. I can’t answer you on the state of the club’s current form because I’m focused on my team and the draw only took place yesterday. Moreover, it is a club accustomed to European games and for these clubs, the truth of the championship is quite different from that of the C1. There are three former Parisians at the club with Angel Di Maria, Adrien Rabiot and Moise Kean but also milik which comes from Ligue 1. Regarding the state of form, the C1 often allows teams to change their face.
To pay Leandro Paredes, nothing is done, nothing is recorded. For now, he is a Paris Saint-Germain player we rely on. I know that there have been many exchanges between the two clubs. The player traded with Juventus, which is normal during the transfer window, but for the moment he is an active player for Paris Saint-Germain.
As it concerns Navas, he is a Paris Saint-Germain player and he was injured last week. He is available and will be in the group with us.
To pay Skriniarhe’s an Inter Milan player, I have no comment to make. »
Question: With the suspension of Vitinha, are you going to start Renato Sanches? Do you have any concerns about its fragility? Has he evolved since his arrival at PSG?
Christophe Galtier : “ It was a short question… Regarding the lack of VitinhaI have three solutions with Renato Sanches, Danilo Pereira and Leandro Paredes. I would make my choice tomorrow even if I know where to go. Re Renato, his transfer took a long time to settle and he arrived with us recently, he has a truncated preparation without a preparation match. In addition, the prospect of joining a big club like Paris Saint-Germain can generate stress, we have to be careful in the first weeks of work. He seems relaxed, well integrated. He found compatriots and people with whom he used to work. Regarding his weak point, his fragility on a muscular level, as soon as he is confident and relaxed, I am convinced that he will be better able to chain matches.”
Question: You talked about the importance of making sales. Are you going to do it from the match against Monaco or are you going to wait until there is a match every three days?
Christophe Galtier : “ I will make sure not to wait until the players are tired or close to injury. We will start a cycle with one game every three days in two high-target competitions. I have a quality squad to lean on. It is essential that players go out during matches and that others start them to maintain lucidity and freshness. Especially since behind this series of seven matches, there will be no rest because the players will go to the selection. Obviously, from the match against Monaco, it will be necessary to inject fresh blood earlier than what has been done so far.”
Question: It’s hard to be choosy about PSG’s first official matches, but we notice that the least successful is the one against Montpellier at the Parc. Is this due to chance or is it due to additional pressure at home? Did you offer that for the players, it is important to find a link with the public?
Christophe Galtier : “ Compared to the match against Montpellier, I don’t think it’s due to the Park. We had a very nice welcome, lots of encouragement, applause and it was very pleasant. I just think teams come, and I’m in a good position to know that, often with a low block. If we had managed to score on our first situations, the match settled more quickly. I don’t think he has apprehension among the players and in the group, on the contrary. There is in my group a real desire to have a great season and to inspire everyone. There were perhaps also adjustments to be made to the Montpellier match following the return of Kylian Mbappe in the team, which was done after the match and then during the following match.”
Question: From a global point of view, what do you think of this Group H of the Champions League? Do you agree with some observers who think you could have had a more complicated draw?
Christophe Galtier : “ It’s very difficult to talk about level, the championships have just started, we haven’t seen many matches. Benfica are regulars in the Champions League, it is also an environment conducive to madness in a hot stadium. The former club of Danilo and Renato. My players are happy to go there. I saw the draw, there are more difficult groups and much simpler groups. It is a competition that transcends players, teams and audiences. You have the right to have your opinion and to place us as the favorites of this group but it would be very misplaced on my part to announce that PSG are the favorites of this group.”
Question: Is your group large enough for the sequence of meetings and if not, how do you plan to integrate future arrivals?
Christophe Galtier : “ This is the whole issue of the transfer window and this goes back to the question of your Italian colleague. Obviously that in the last few days it will change a lot, there are players about to leave, players who are waiting to join us and we will see how it will end. We have targeted the positions we want increased with targeted players but whether it will happen or not, I don’t know. Obviously, the later the players arrive, the more difficult it is to integrate them. However, the players who arrive at PSG are very high level players who have the ability to adapt very quickly. Of course, the earlier the players arrive the better, but it is always an uncertainty and we are not the only big club like that. We try to have the best possible squad to go as far as possible in all competitions.”
Question: How did you present yourself personally as the Champions League approached? And do you think Neymar has returned to his best level or can he still do more?
Christophe Galtier : “ I heard it was a somewhat new group, a new page in the history of Paris Saint-Germain, but for me it’s not a new page, it’s a new book. I am motivated, determined, focused by ensuring that my teams are focused on the sequence of matches. I know the pressure there is on these matches, I know it, I don’t feel it coming yet but it will happen. I am, not impatient, but very focused on starting this competition and experiencing these great evenings.
Re Neymar, he made an extraordinary start to the season, both scorer and passer. I saw there was a Ligue 1 record of 18 assists Decisions shared by Angel Di Maria and Jerome Rothen. I don’t know if he can achieve this goal or even if it’s a goal for him, but I know he’s a player who is both capable of being decisive against the goalkeeper and at the same time very altruistic for his partners. . »
Question: Is the integration of Renato Sanches going well? Do you see him having a more complementary profile to Verratti than Vitinha?
Christophe Galtier : “ His integration is going very well. He knows France, he’s been there for several years, he knows the environment, especially since we have a very international dressing room, so he had no problem integrating into the dressing room and making the connection with the each other in the field.
I think the pair with Verratti can be very efficient also with different characteristics. He’s a stronger player than Vitinha, more able to break the lines with acceleration and also bring us a little more density in the recovery in midfield. I remain convinced that it is one pair among many others that can perform well and that there will sometimes even be a performing triplet.”
Question: There was a red card recorded on the last day, do you think the refereeing is too harsh this season?
Christophe Galtier : “ I do not think so. You always have to protect the players. But it’s like all the beginning of the season. I followed closely what happened this weekend and I spoke to my players about it a few hours before kick-off in Lille. It’s a start to the season where we are very strict about the rules, the laws of the game but also the behavior and the image that a footballer must send back and often, it’s like that at the start of the season. I think there were eleven red cards, which is huge, but the most important thing is to protect the players but also to be exemplary. We must send back a good image and accept each other. Is French refereeing more severe than elsewhere, I don’t know, but I know that we have high quality referees.”