Yann M'Vila : "Like a semi-final and a final"

In what state of mind will you tackle your last two matches of the season, which include the match Saturday against the defending, French champion?

Our undefeated streak ended last week but we’re still thinking about the Europa League. We still have two matches to play. We’re going to play them like a semi-final and a final in order to take the full 6 points.

What did Jean-Louis Gasset say after your defeat against Bordeaux?

The coach reminded us where we come from. Since January, we’ve done great things and an undefeated streak like ours wears you out physically and mentally. Against Strasbourg, Troyes or Montpellier we felt a bit limited, worn-down and we felt we couldn’t get great results like that until the end of the season. But we all want to finish the work. We have an excellent coach who knows how to handle his team. His staff and him have done a great job, exceptional even, and we don’t feel any fear or pressure, we only have two magnificent matches to win.

Would not obtaining a qualification for the Europa League be a disappointment?

Of course! Keeping in mind the extraordinary, undefeated streak that we accomplished and our current ranking, that would be a disappointment. Basically, I didn’t come to play in the Europa League, I came to maintain the team’s League 1 status. We’ve accomplished something extraordinary. ASSE is a club that deserves to be the European champion, if only for its fans.

Saint-Etienne was the right choice for you.

I made a very good choice by coming here. Jean-Louis Gasset believed in me. He was perhaps the only one in France to do so because many people had washed their hands of me. I can only thank him and the club for having given me this chance to get back on track. What the coach did for me was very big of him. I have to give him everything I have on the field for that.

The Stéphanois public adopted you very quickly. Do you feel the love?

I’m conscious of it and I thank them for it because it gives me confidence. After the training sessions, young and old alike ask me for photos or autographs. It’s amazing. I had lost that a bit in Kazan. I can only thank them for all of this.