Breel Embolo: 'The Derby is an important game for us and our supporters'
He was the only scorer in the reverse fixture at the Allianz Riviera (in a 0-1 win). This Thursday, he scored his 14th goal with the Rouge et Blanc, in the elimination of AS Monaco in the round of 32 of the Europa League against Bayer Leverkusen. Obviously disappointed with this turn of events, Breel Embolo appeared in front of the media on the eve of the Derby (5:05 p.m.), speaking of the team’s ambition to bounce back immediately.
Disappointment against Leverkusen
We had a difficult night, that’s for sure, even if I’m someone who usually sleeps pretty well. It was a very tight match. We were disappointed because our objective was to progress past this round. But we were coming off a streak of a lot of wins. We have already switched gears, because there are objectives to keep for the rest of the season.
What is good is that there is a new match on Sunday, against a good team from Nice. That’s football, even after good performances you have to look to the next match. When we see the goals, we look at both games. Penalties decided the outcome. Mentally we are strong, and even if the squad is young, we will bounce back.
Is there an idea of revenge?
It was not Nice who eliminated us (smiles)! Sunday is the Derby, it’s Ligue 1. We are here for the emotional side of things. For them, there have been a lot of changes, and with the new coach, they still haven’t lost. It’s up to us to pick up a victory to please the team and our fans above all!
Ligue 1 is now our main objective, especially since it is very open at the top. It’s a big match that awaits us on Sunday. When I see today’s training session, I haven’t seen any players who are down because of Thursday’s game, everyone is focused.
The Derby, a match apart
A defeat is never good for one’s confidence, but we pushed for 120 minutes against Leverkusen again. The Derby is a very important match, I have always felt the same in my previous clubs. Today our supporters came to the Performance Center to support us, and show us that they are behind us! In any case, during a derby, form goes out the window, and it is the team which shows the most desire who wins.
Objective: Ligue 1
My personal and team goals were to make it through in the Europa League, but it’s not like a wish that has a certain number attached to it. We wanted to go as far as possible in the competition. But we have managed things well in recent months by playing every three days. When I see the victory that we had in Leverkusen in the first leg by pushing hard, it proves that we are physically in good form. I’m not worried, because Sunday is still a football match and we will play it to win.
The best form of his career?
Not completely (smiles). But I agree that it is a special moment for me. We did the work that was necessary, and when we make the effort together, for the collective, it simplifies things for everyone. We have a lot of very great players in this team, those who can make a difference. It’s always nice to score, but on Thursday I wasn’t very happy to score without the result going in our favour.
La récupération de @takumina0116 👊
Le dribble de Golo’ ⚡️
La finition de Breel 🎯#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/UuS63uDeQH— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 6, 2023
Rotation in attack
I don’t want to talk about frustration when I don’t start. Any player who does not start a match is not happy, that is obvious. But it’s part of management of the squad, and it’s a matter of intelligence to understand it. Everyone today at AS Monaco has the potential to make the team win. I try to adapt, to progress, to help the team and to push my limits.
Whe. you have a forward like Wissam ahead of you , who scored 32 goals last season, even being a Swiss international, it’s easier to accept being on the bench. The same is true when I see the quality of Kevin and Myron. As long as the results are there, we are happy. We have proven in recent months that no matter who starts, we can all be decisive. It is up to us to respect the choices of the coach and to seek results.
𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗼' 👟
𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲 🪄@WissBenYedder ⚽️🔥Le résumé de la victoire face au @PSG_inside est disponible ⤵️
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 13, 2023
The team’s condition
Tired? No, when you see physically what we did in 120 minutes on Thursday, we were the best team. If we made it 3-3 and had gone through, I don’t think we’d be talking about losing the tie, or fatigue. Everyone is doing the work they need to do to recover well, with a lot of work from the staff.
It’s a long season, where there have been ups and downs, but we feel that mentally we are there. Even if we are not happy to be where we are, to be out of the Europa League. There will always be mistakes, but we see that everyone is doing things at 100%. And we will do everything to achieve our goals.
A word to Eliot Matazo
The first thing I said after the match was that we had come back well after a first half that was not up to par. The reaction was good, between Wissam hitting the bar, my goal, Kevin’s header and Edan’s disallowed goal. Then it was the penalties that made the difference. But we explained to Eliot that it is 50-50 in these cases. He was a little sad, but he is a young person who works hard and has lots of potential. Today he was back in training with the team, and I have absolutely no doubt that he will bounce back very quickly.
https://twitter.com/AS_Monaco/status/1629465980228468736
