Ghislain Printant : "Se faire mal sur le terrain"

How are you experiencing this difficult period?

Never did they inform me that I was no longer ASSE’s coach. I have the mindset of a man who wants to go get points in Nîmes. The context is difficult, demanding, especially for the players. But it’s us and us alone who put ourselves in this situation. It’s up to us to make sure we earn the points that we need to get ourselves out of this.

What have you said to your players since the defeat on your home turf against Metz?

The results do not speak in our favour. I accept this and we have to accept this. That’s what I repeated during the one-on-one talks that I had with some of the players. I heard what they had to say, they heard what I had to say, I expressed my anger and my disappointment. Today, the reality is that ASSE is lacking points.

Do you regret not having expressed your anger much earlier?

I put my trust in the players, but they did not return that trust. Right now, we have to make sure we’re mentally in the game Sunday. I will remind the team of their responsibilities.

Are you going to make the tough decisions as you suggested after the match against Metz?

I conversed for a long time Wednesday evening with my staff. Since then, I had one-on-one talks with my players. There’s still one last training session before the match. This team will be reminded of its responsibilities. I believe in this team. They’re capable of responding well. Each player’s output is not sufficient enough to be collectively strong. It’s up to them to raise the expectations they have of themselves and to be mentally present.

Can William Saliba be part of the team?

William participated in a training session Thursday. I think that he will be on the team but he will not be able to begin the match. He can only have a few minutes of game time. I’m taking the next deadlines into account, for the club and for him.

What is your view of Nîmes?

It’s a team programmed to fight, very difficult to outmanoeuvre on their home turf. They play with virtues. Going to Costières is not a difficult match. Every team has struggled there. Today, we have to present ourselves differently and give it our all on the field.