Jean-Louis Gasset : “The final for the Europa League“

How are you tackling the end of this season?

We’re going to do things in order. We’re going to first try to qualify for the Europa League which would already be very good knowing that there’s only one qualifying place for this competition this season. Then, if we have the expected result, we’ll move on to another dream. Two matches are remaining. If we can play exceptionally, we won’t be embarrassed. But it’s hard to win a match. We’re going to try to win ours Friday evening.

Does competing with Lyon for third place motivate you even more?

The team ahead of us in the rankings is only one point ahead, that’s motivation enough. I don’t need to speak about Lyon during my talk but that’s makes us want to win more of course.

Did the victory against Monaco strengthen the confidence that you have in your team?

In Monaco, we just needed to remobilize the team. Once the players were clear-headed and playing their game again, the match changed. My team is extraordinary. Since the beginning of the season, I’ve known that we have a team of experienced competitors and that we’ll be in the final sprint for the Europa League qualification.

How do you respond to the fans who want to see ASSE in the Champions League?

I know what is being said and I see the euphoric fans at the training sessions. I hope the stadium will be crazy against Montpellier and that this will help us to surpass ourselves so that we can celebrate the Europa League together. The atmosphere in the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium already resembles those of the Champions League. The harmony, the hugs that we were able to see yesterday at the end of the Tottenham match, it was incredible. That’s why we like Football and it’s to experience these moments that I stayed in Saint-Étienne.

Is what happens during Champions League matches also a source of inspiration?

We always aim as high as possible and when we see matches likes those ones, you don’t notice time passing. That’s the very highest level and that’s what we have to do in our state of mind. It’s not necessarily the most well-known players who are the best. You just have to see the Amsterdam players to know that.

Could the euphoria be dangerous for your team?

It’s my job to maintain the players’ state of mind and their thirst for success. In a match, there’s always something to correct. We haven’t yet played the perfect match in terms of discipline or of placement. But my players aren’t euphoric, they weren’t born yesterday. We always say that we must win the next match, it’s something that we say everyday but that’s the reality of the situation. We have to continue to take matches one after another.

What type of match are you expecting against Montpellier?

We know their state of mind. With the 10th or 12th largest budget, they’re 5th in the championship. They have a good defensive line, two passers and a striker. I attended the match against Paris and I saw them deliver the performance they needed to put Paris in that state. They tied 0-0 against Lille, they won in Strasbourg. They’ve regrouped. This team is an army.