Jean-Louis Gasset: "Give everything you have to surpass yourself"

How do you prepare your team before a match of this caliber?

In regards of motivation, that’s the easiest thing to prepare. There’s no need for great videos or talking for hours about our opponents. They can expect a little relaxation and a day when they’re not as good. That happens to them in the season. When you play against Paris, especially, you don’t usually take points that day. But, the match must still be played.

Could PSG still be focused on the Champions League?

I hope so because there’s still a second match and because they’ve maybe celebrated that. If they’re like the one Tuesday, they’ll be difficult to play. We know what type of performance we must deliver, especially since we practically did so last season. We know how much effort we’ll have to put in, we know the determination, the self-sacrifice and the courage we’ll need to win.

Is the victory against Strasbourg this week reassuring?

For our state of mind, yes. We have a midfielder who’s putting himself back together, some instincts to work on but for the moment we’re just in a recuperation phase because we play every three days. The first period was encouraging. The start of the match was very good. We were upset about our last performance on our home turf in the Coupe de France. In the second half, we had openings to score the third goal, but Strasbourg made a comeback and we started to doubt ourselves. The players were relieved but had suffered. In a period of hesitation, we need a difficult match to win. The initial objective was to take three points, reach the 40-point mark and rank fourth.

Is there a risk that the players will psyche themselves out thinking too much about the match before facing an opponent like PSG?

The players don’t mull thins over. We have everything we need to win this match. A positive outcome would be a bonus. The pressure won’t be the same as Wednesday, when we had just lost twice on our home turf. Winning in the Cauldron will give us a fresh start. We’ll face PSG, we know how difficult that will be. Having won before lessons the pressure. And, our fans will be present once again. Without the kops, the game isn’t a celebration. When we see the empty tribunes…(he sighs). I hope that this will be the last time.

What did you take away from PSG’s performance Tuesday?

The investment of the players. I really liked what Kylian Mbappé said at the end of the match: why be afraid. Great players are present in great matches. I also really liked the organization of the team and the self-sacrifice in a Champions League match. I knew that the Parisians were going to play a match like that. That’s their number one objective. Finishing in the quarter-finals means that you’re in the top 8 of European teams. But, to be in the semi-finals, you have to face Barcelone, Madrid, Juventus F.C. or Bayern Munich. I hope that they progress.

Must you take this match as a challenge?

Of course. We hope to win. We weren’t far from doing so last season. We dream of it. For Paris, Sunday will be like a routine. Their big match was Tuesday. For us, it’s Sunday. We’ll play a great match in a packed stadium and against one of the best teams in Europe. Our motto is to give everything you have to surpass yourself”